Special Education in Riyadh: A Quiet Revolution of Inclusion

In a recent webinar, Bennett Global Team Lead and Senior Education Consultant Aamynah Nagji responds to a question about how special education needs are managed in Riyadh—highlighting encouraging developments in inclusion, accessibility, and cultural awareness.

The landscape for children with special education needs (SEN) in Riyadh is changing—quietly, but significantly. In recent years, more international schools have begun expanding their SEN departments, investing in staff training, therapies, and classroom accommodations that promote a more inclusive experience for students with diverse learning needs.

One of the most notable developments is the recent opening of a fully inclusive school in Riyadh—one that does not require assessments, diagnostic reports, or prior documentation for admission. Instead, placement is based solely on availability. This marks a major step toward accessibility and reflects a growing movement toward embracing every child, regardless of diagnosis or background.

Importantly, this progress is not just being driven by international families. Local Saudi families are increasingly advocating for inclusion, recognizing the importance of ensuring that children with special needs have access to both appropriate therapies and a nurturing school setting. In the past, such conversations were often kept private, and children with additional needs were frequently kept out of school environments altogether.

Now, that is shifting. Social stigma is beginning to dissolve, and public awareness is rising. Families are speaking more openly about their children’s needs and pushing for school environments that reflect the values of compassion, equity, and opportunity.

While there is still work to be done, Riyadh is making meaningful strides toward inclusive education, and that momentum is creating real impact for families—both local and international—who want their children to thrive.

Over the years, Bennett International Education Consultancy has worked with hundreds of corporations across the globe, many of them Fortune 500 companies, providing domestic and international school advisement & placement services - preschool through university - to the dependents of relocating employees. In addition to education placement, our team provides customized consulting for corporations with a range of education issues: education policy writing & benchmarking, tuition studies, group move advisement & planning, and remote education solutions.