In-person classes will be suspended tomorrow, Tuesday, in Saudi Arabia due to bad weather conditions
For the second consecutive day, and in response to reports from the National Center for Meteorology, in-person classes remain suspended in several regions and governorates of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The educational process will be shifted to distance learning via official, approved platforms. This decision, effective tomorrow, Tuesday, 25 Jumada al-Thani 1447 AH (December 16, 2025), aims to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and administrative staff amidst the ongoing weather fluctuations.
Details of the suspension of studies in the Eastern Province and Riyadh
The suspension decisions affected wide areas, most notably the Eastern Province and Riyadh. In the Eastern Province, the Education Department announced the suspension of in-person classes in all schools in Dammam, Khobar, Qatif, Al-Bayda, and Jubail, in addition to schools in Al-Ahsa Governorate. The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in the Eastern Province also joined the entities suspending in-person training at its facilities in Dammam, Khobar, and Qatif, shifting both morning and evening training sessions to an online system.
Regarding higher education, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University the continuation of distance learning, as did King Faisal University for its on-campus students in the Al-Ahsa and Buqayq branches. In Hafr Al-Batin, the suspension of classes at the university was limited to the University College in Al-Nairiyah Governorate.
Digital readiness and continuity of education
The rapid and smooth transition to distance education via the “My School” platform and the “Blackboard” system in universities is a result of the huge investment that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made in digital infrastructure within Vision 2030. Suspending in-person studies no longer means stopping the educational process as happened in past decades, but e-learning has become a strategic option that ensures the continuity of academic achievement without interruption, reflecting the maturity of the Saudi experience in managing crises and dealing with emergency circumstances with high efficiency.
Safety priority and coordination with relevant authorities
These decisions are based on ongoing coordination between the Ministry of Education, the National Center for Meteorology, and the General Directorate of Civil Defense. The Ministry consistently emphasizes that the safety of education personnel is its top priority, and therefore empowers education departments and university presidents to make appropriate decisions based on the current weather conditions in each region. The relevant authorities urge citizens and residents to follow official warnings and avoid areas prone to flooding and valleys during this period of rainfall to ensure everyone's safety.
