The Saudi Ministry of Education participated as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held annually at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to review global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking during the session dedicated to SDG (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), Eng.
Saad bin Abdulghani Al-Ghamdi, Deputy Minister of Education for Planning, emphasized that Saudi Arabia views pioneering innovation and industrial sustainability as deeply rooted in human capital investment and knowledge localization. He highlighted these elements as primary drivers for boosting productivity and competitiveness in the face of rapid global challenges.
Under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, Eng. Al-Ghamdi outlined the Kingdom's pioneering initiatives aimed at institutionalizing the innovation ecosystem. Key achievements include Saudi universities ranking among the top 100 globally by the National Academy of Inventors, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KUPM) climbing to 67th globally in the recent QS World University Rankings. Furthermore, Saudi general education students have clinched numerous international awards in innovation and robotics, most notably securing second place globally at ISEF 2026.
The Deputy Minister noted that this transformative shift has propelled the Kingdom to 6th globally in the UN E-Government Development Index and 13th in the World Competitiveness Ranking, a testament to Saudi Arabia's successful adoption of unified digital sustainability frameworks that enhance sector efficiency.
Concluding his address, Al-Ghamdi pointed out that various Saudi government entities have actively adopted sustainability reporting. He announced that the Ministry of Education has developed a comprehensive Sustainability Report for the Education Sector, accredited by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Serving as a core enabler to fuel industry and innovation with precise data infrastructure, the report evaluates environmental policies and governance procedures across educational institutions in alignment with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria. Set to be implemented over a three-year period, the initiative ensures that the ministry's educational outcomes are fully aligned with the aspirations of the 21st-century industrial revolution.