Saudi Gazette report

TABUK — Owners of 186 private schools in the northern region of Tabuk have agreed to cut their fees by half in the first semester of the new academic year.

The gesture by owners of the schools will benefit about 30,000 students and save a total of SR90 million for their parents, an education official was quoted by Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as saying on Tuesday.

The step comes in response to an initiative launched by the Tabuk education directorate to help mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19.

“This initiative consolidates national duty done by owners of private and international schools as well as kindergartens toward their country,” Director General of the Tabuk Education Directorate Ebrahim Al-Omari was quoted as saying.

Earlier this week, Minister of Education Hamad Al-Sheikh said that the first seven weeks of the new school year, starting Aug. 30, will depend on distance-learning programs as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.