Arab News | Saudi schools to expand online safety training

JEDDAH: More than 126,000 pupils, teachers and caregivers across Saudi Arabia are set to receive online safety training over the next three years through an initiative delivered by INJAZ Al-Arab and supported by Google.org.

The program will expand Abtal Al Internet, Google’s Arabic-language online safety curriculum, across public schools in the Kingdom. It has been endorsed by the Ministry of Education.

INJAZ Al-Arab said the training would reach 120,000 primary school pupils, 3,750 teachers and 2,250 caregivers. It aims to help children navigate digital spaces safely while giving the adults around them the tools to reinforce those lessons at school and at home.

The partnership was launched during the INJAZ Saudi Arabia National Competition in the presence of Saad bin Awadh Al-Harbi, deputy minister of education for general education.

Abtal Al Internet uses interactive learning tools to teach children about responsible online behaviour, digital citizenship and safety. The initiative will also train teachers, parents and caregivers, recognising their role in helping young people develop lasting digital habits.

The new funding builds on an existing collaboration between INJAZ Al-Arab and Google. According to the organisation, more than 76,000 people in Saudi Arabia have received online safety training through the partnership since 2021.

“Preparing young people for a rapidly changing digital world is a shared responsibility, and child safety must remain at the heart of that journey,” said Akef Aqrabawi, president and CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA.

He said Google had long supported the organisation’s work and that the latest contribution from Google.org would help it reach more young people across the Kingdom.

“Through INJAZ’s direct access to young people across the region, we can translate this commitment into meaningful impact on the ground,” he said.

Sarah Al-Husseini, Google’s head of government affairs and public policy for Saudi Arabia and North Africa, said families should be able to feel confident about their children’s experiences online.

“We believe every family in Saudi Arabia deserves to feel confident that their children can safely explore, learn, and benefit from everything the digital world has to offer,” she said.

A Ministry of Education spokesperson said teaching pupils to use digital spaces safely and responsibly was part of preparing them for the future.

The spokesperson said the programme’s reach beyond the classroom was particularly valuable. Training thousands of teachers and caregivers alongside pupils would help connect what children learn at school with the guidance they receive at home, the spokesperson added.