Schools in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, reopened for physical classes on Monday, barely a day after authorities announced a temporary closure that had prompted schools to prepare for a week of remote learning.
The sudden reversal left parents and schools without a clear public explanation, coming at a time of heightened security tensions across the Gulf and continuing attacks targeting Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
According to a report by AFP, parents received messages from schools on Sunday informing them that classes would move online for the week following notification from Saudi authorities that schools were to remain closed.
By Monday, however, students were back in classrooms across Riyadh, with no official explanation publicly provided for either the initial closure or the decision to resume face-to-face teaching.
The disruption has drawn attention because of the wider regional security situation, with Saudi Arabia facing frequent attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces operating from Yemen.
The temporary closure had raised questions among parents about whether the education disruption was linked to the deteriorating security environment, although Saudi authorities did not publicly establish such a connection.
The reopening means schools in the capital have resumed normal physical operations for now, despite the absence of an official account of what prompted Sunday’s last-minute directive.
The episode has nevertheless highlighted the uncertainty facing residents as regional tensions persist and governments across the Gulf remain alert to potential security developments.
