Saudi Arabia Hosts EDGEx 2025, Pushing the Boundaries of Education

Saudi Arabia has taken another step forward in its educational reform journey with the successful conclusion of the International Education Exhibition (EDGEx), held from April 13–16, 2025. Organized by the Ministry of Education, the event convened education leaders, technology developers, and policymakers from around the world under the theme “Beyond Readiness.”

Over four days, EDGEx welcomed more than 20,000 local and international visitors, including government representatives, senior educators, academics, business leaders, and professionals in the field. The exhibition served as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cross-sector collaboration—bringing together institutions, companies, and decision-makers to explore how education and training can evolve in a rapidly changing world.

The event highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing focus on digital transformation, educational innovation, and human capital development—all key priorities of Vision 2030.

Ihab Omar, CEO of Maarif, commented: “One of the main pillars of Vision 2030 is education and the role of the private sector in supporting it. With the Kingdom’s young population, available resources, and strong commitment to long-term investment, education represents one of the most promising growth areas globally. The share of private sector involvement currently sits between 15% and 17%, and there's a clear opportunity to increase that to 25% within the next five years.”

Dr. Khulood Almani, Founder and CEO of HKB Tech, added: “Artificial Intelligence is at the center of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to position itself as a global hub for emerging technologies. The government has pledged close to $100 billion to advance AI infrastructure, research, and adoption—creating an ecosystem designed to attract talent and innovation.”

Speaking from the exhibition, Dr. Raed Al-Yousef, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, said:
“Our presence at EDGEx is an opportunity to highlight the university’s academic programs and showcase our latest initiatives in research and development.”

As the exhibition concluded, EDGEx 2025 reflected Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to create a more connected and adaptive education system—one that responds to the needs of its people and the challenges of the future.