As the new academic year approaches, the Ministry of Education has reaffirmed the regulations and standards for school and sports uniforms, as well as the general appearance of public education students. The update aims to ensure an organized start to the school year that reflects national values and promotes discipline and equality among male and female students.
The ministry emphasized that schools play a fundamental role in equipping youth with the knowledge and skills needed to face modern challenges, contributing to building a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. Schools also foster cultural and social awareness, instill values, deepen national belonging, preserve cultural heritage, and encourage commitment to duties and responsibilities.
The ministry stated that the standardized school uniform is part of the educational system, embodying discipline and equality while reflecting the spirit of national identity. To this end, a guideline has been prepared to unify school uniform policies across all educational levels.
The guideline was formulated based on directives regarding adherence to the national uniform in secondary schools, as well as previous circulars concerning updates to female students’ uniform designs and colors, implemented across all government schools in primary, intermediate, and secondary levels. It also includes provisions for physical education uniforms and guidelines from the Code of Conduct and Attendance.
Promoting Equality and Fairness
The guideline highlights that these regulations aim to promote values of equality and fairness among students by standardizing school uniforms, encouraging the wearing of national attire, strengthening their sense of belonging to the school community, reducing financial burdens on parents, and fostering national loyalty and pride in Saudi cultural heritage.
The guideline details the school uniform requirements as follows: For kindergarten, boys wear a white thobe or long/short-sleeved shirt with beige long elastic-waist pants, while girls wear a beige pinafore covering the knees with a white long/short-sleeved shirt and beige long elastic-waist pants.
In primary school, boys wear a thobe, optionally with a shemagh or ghutra and agal, while girls wear a sleeveless pink pinafore as the main uniform with a white blouse. In intermediate school, boys wear a thobe with optional shemagh or ghutra and agal, while girls wear an olive-green skirt with a white blouse. In secondary school, Saudi boys wear a thobe with ghutra or shemagh, while non-Saudi boys may optionally wear a thobe with an agal. Girls wear a navy-blue skirt with a white blouse.
Sports Uniform Specifications
The guideline also outlines sports uniform details: Kindergarten boys and girls wear a white shirt and long beige athletic pants. Primary school boys wear a white short/long-sleeved shirt with long navy-blue athletic pants.
Girls wear a white long-sleeved shirt with a navy-blue collar, covering the front and back, paired with long navy-blue athletic pants and a navy-blue jacket.
In intermediate school, boys wear a white short/long-sleeved shirt with long olive-green athletic pants, while girls wear a white long-sleeved shirt with a maroon collar, covering the front and back, paired with long maroon athletic pants and a maroon jacket.
In secondary school, boys wear a white short/long-sleeved shirt with long black athletic pants, while girls wear a white long-sleeved shirt with a gray collar, covering the front and back, paired with long gray athletic pants and a gray jacket.
The guideline also specifies school bag requirements: the bag should cover the area from the upper back to the waist, not exceed the child’s width, have its top edge aligned with the shoulders, include a thick cotton back support for spinal protection, weigh no more than 10% of the child’s weight, and feature wide, padded shoulder straps to avoid pressure.
The guideline clarifies that appearance regulations in government schools require all Saudi and non-Saudi secondary students to wear the national uniform as specified, while female students across all levels must adhere to the designated school uniform. All students must wear the sports uniform during scheduled physical activities.
In private schools, secondary students—both Saudi and non-Saudi—must wear the national uniform, adhering to regulations and wearing modest attire free of offensive images or slogans.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that this guideline aims to unify students’ overall appearance in a way that reflects national and cultural values, reinforcing the school’s role as an educational institution that nurtures a disciplined generation proud of its national identity.
