Saudi Arabia Intermediate School Religious Education Curriculum (Grades 7-9)

The Religious Education curriculum in Saudi Arabia for intermediate school (Grades 7-9) focuses primarily on Islamic studies. Historically, this has included a strong emphasis on Quran, Tawhid (oneness of God), Tajwid (recitation), Tafsir (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad), and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). The Ministry of Education sets the overall standards for the curriculum.

Recent reforms have led to changes in the curriculum, including combining the subjects of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic studies into one subject in elementary and intermediate schools. There have also been efforts to reduce the number of weekly classes dedicated to religious studies. Further reforms have aimed to remove hateful and intolerant language from textbooks. Studies have examined the extent to which these reforms have impacted the promotion of religious tolerance in the curriculum. There has also been discussion about incorporating religious literacy into the secondary education curriculum. Several organizations have reviewed and analyzed Saudi Arabian textbooks, including IMPACT-se, which has published reports on curricular changes. The USCIRF has also conducted studies on Saudi Arabian textbooks.