The Ministry of Education celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which was approved by the UN General Assembly on February 11 every year, in appreciation of the role of Saudi girls and women in the fields of science and technology, as well as their contributions to the development of scientific and research fields. This is to achieve Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives of empowering women, opening many fields to them, and enhancing their participation in sustainable development programs.
The Ministry offers several programs and initiatives that encourage women and girls to participate in science and technology. Develop their skills and talents while expanding training and qualification, empowering them in research and innovation in various sciences in Saudi universities. This aims to enhance women's role in national development goals, bring about tangible developments for society through scientific and professional contributions, as well as confirm the link between education and sustainable development and its effects on human development, capabilities, and skills.
The Ministry of Education continues its efforts to enhance Saudi girls and women to participate in many educational programs and initiatives that promote human development and prepare globally competitive citizens. The Ministry has also created postgraduate programs, diplomas, training programs, and professional certificates and increased the number of women admitted to top and qualitative colleges and universities. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program (2023) is now accepting applications. In addition, the Ministry of Education oversees over 52,000 male and female scholarship students in top prestigious international universities.
Saudi female researchers, academics, and scientists helped improve the Kingdom’s international scientific research rankings in 2022, topping the list of Arab countries in the number and quality of published scientific research , along with improving Saudi universities' international rankings. Saudi women's research, innovation, and development efforts account for 21% of the Kingdom's scientific publications, and their Field-weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) in the research field is equal to that of their male counterparts.