The Ministry of Education abolishes regional spokespersons and adopts centralized governance

In a regulatory move aimed at streamlining the educational media landscape and unifying official messaging, the Ministry of Education has issued new and decisive organizational regulations, including the elimination of the position of "official spokesperson" in all education departments across the regions and governorates of Saudi Arabia. This decision restricts the authority to issue media statements and press releases to the Ministry's central channels only, in accordance with the latest edition of the Communications Governance Guide.

Termination of previous regulations

Under the new directives, the Ministry has rescinded all previous regulations contained in the Social Media Accounts Governance Guide issued in 1441 AH. The Ministry has replaced these regulations with a centralized, rigorous, and precise institutional communication system, aiming to end the era of multiple media outlets that previously prevailed and to prevent any discrepancies in media messaging across different educational sectors, thus ensuring that accurate information reaches beneficiaries from a single, reliable source.

Governance context and media messaging control

This move comes within a broader context of government institutions in the Kingdom striving to enhance communication efficiency and implement governance and transparency standards. Given the vast size of the education sector, which serves millions of students and teachers, the multiplicity of voices and individual statements across regions posed a challenge to unifying the message, particularly on controversial issues or critical decisions. Therefore, the new regulations explicitly prohibit any individual authorization to issue statements or media releases locally, emphasizing that communication decisions are now entirely centralized to prevent personal interpretations that could negatively impact the Ministry's public image.

Crisis management and corporate reputation

The new guidelines not only address administrative aspects but also extend to managing institutional reputation and creating digital content strategically. The ministry has established specific and precise mechanisms for crisis communication, designating single official channels for handling emergencies. This step is crucial to preventing leaks or unofficial interpretations that often cause confusion within educational and community circles, particularly during school closures or exams.

Enhancing reliability and information security

The guide includes precise standards for digital content governance, based on compliance with national policies and the protection of information and data security. This step represents a qualitative shift from operational "platform management" to strategic "message governance," contributing to strengthening public trust and unifying the ministry's official voice in the face of the massive influx of information and rumors in the digital space.