Saudi Arabian textbooks shift toward greater tolerance, study shows

Saudi Arabia’s school textbooks have continued a years-long shift toward greater tolerance, coexistence and critical thinking, with the latest curriculum eliminating remaining examples of antisemitic content, according to a new report by the educational monitoring organization IMPACT-se.

The review examined 136 textbooks used in the 2025-26 school year and found continued reductions in extremist and discriminatory material, building on reforms documented in previous years.

The report said lessons increasingly promote dialogue and respect for different cultures and religious communities. Islamic Studies textbooks highlight examples of peaceful relations between the Prophet Muhammad and Jews, Christians and Arab tribes, while lessons on war prohibit harming noncombatants.

The curriculum has also further moderated its treatment of religious minorities, removing passages portraying Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians negatively. However, the report noted that the Holocaust remains absent from a Grade 9 Social Studies textbook.

References to Israel have become somewhat more neutral, including replacing the phrase “the Zionist enemy” with “the Israeli occupation.” Still, Israel does not appear by name on any maps reviewed, and textbooks continue to describe it as an occupying state.

The report also found expanded portrayals of women as contributors to Saudi society and the economy, reflecting the goals of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 modernization program.

“The overall trajectory is extremely encouraging and will inevitably contribute to greater regional stability and understanding,” says IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff.