The skills behind Vision 2030

Raising tomorrow's innovators and entrepreneurs

The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, TETCO, has ambitious plans for its young people. Their goal is to create a future-ready generation that can thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy. To do this, they are moving towards competency-based learning, ensuring students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy skills.

We have worked with them to prepare students for the jobs of the future, to think critically, to be change-makers, problem finders, and problem solvers who can contribute to Saudi Arabia’s future economic growth.

Local by design

At the core of the programme is a bespoke STEM competencies framework, shaped by an international benchmarking study across 20 Saudi and international schools. The study established a shared baseline for STEM education and directly informed the framework’s design.

The resulting framework includes 60 hands-on activities across eight culturally relevant themes, differentiated by age group and aligned with Vision 2030. It was co-developed by UK STEM specialists and Saudi education consultants, with oversight from STEM Learning UK, to ensure both international best practice and local relevance.

The programme came together in three stages:

Research and benchmarking - an international study that established our baseline.
A bespoke competency framework - turning those findings into a teaching and learning structure grounded in best practice, with its own learning standards.
Bespoke resources - the guides and lesson plans that bring the framework to life, across print-ready and digital formats.

A new kind of learning space

The goal was to encourage students to consider future STEM careers, with a focus on learning technical skills and scientific principles through hands-on, project-based learning, rooted in familiar contexts for students growing up in the Middle East.

Working with our local partner Edutech/Abdullah Fouad, we established dedicated STEM Centres for learners aged 6–17 (Grades 1–12). Equipped with modern STEM education technology, the Centres support all 60 activities through group sessions, individual study, and practical project work. Centres are located across the Kingdom and operate independently of existing schools.

Students from Ministry of Education schools can access the Centres through teacher-led sessions and open learning time, with additional provision for adult learners and family groups. The Ministry piloted the programme across 13 STEM Centres nationwide.

From framework to classroom

We took the Ministry's high-level strategic aims and turned them into core STEM skills and competency areas. From there, each area was mapped by educational stage and expressed as age-appropriate learning outcomes and expectations. The initial high-level strategic aims were synthesised and developed into the following core STEM skills/competency areas.

High-order thinking skills

Including creative thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving and innovation skills, adaptability and resilience

Social and emotional skills

Including teamwork skills, adaptability to community changes, acceptance of others and respect for their cultures

Physical and practical skills

Including skills to keep up with new technologies encompassing digital, scientific and engineering

A specialist group of STEM experts for each of the respective age groups then produced individualised hands-on education packs with learning activities for learners of all ages to engage with across the full range of themed STEM areas. Each set of materials was translated into Saudi-specific Arabic for direct use across the localised STEM centres.

Building tomorrow's innovators

Students across Saudi Arabia now have access to STEM learning that's hands-on, locally rooted and practical. These STEM Centres represent a scalable model for transforming competency-based learning across the Kingdom, supporting Vision 2030 not just today, but for generations to come.

Shaun Smith: Our skills expert

Shaun Smith has worked in Vocational Assessment for 30 years. In his role as Deputy Director of Qualifications he has led projects to improve the alignment of vocational training with the demands of labour markets and emerging needs for multiple organisations around the world.