The persistence of special education and segregation in Saudi Arabia: Insights from education officials

Despite national aspirations and international obligations to implement inclusive education, educational practices in Saudi Arabia continue to rely on special education and segregated settings for students with disability. While existing research has predominantly focused on school-level barriers, there remains a lack of studies investigating factors that perpetuate special education and segregation at the system level in the Saudi Arabian context. Accordingly, this qualitative study investigated why special education and segregation persist in Saudi Arabia, drawing on the perspectives of education officials. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six education officials involved in policy development and implementation, and the data were thematically analysed. A critical perspective on inclusive education informed both the conceptualisation and interpretation of the analysis. Four key themes emerged: reliance on classification, lack of positive attitudes towards inclusive education, avoidance of structural reform, and systemic reproduction of special education and segregation. The study contributes to the literature by suggesting that segregation is reproduced through interconnected institutional mechanisms and system-level priorities that sustain special education and impede inclusive education reform. The findings also highlight how the perceptions and values of those in positions of responsibility may shape system-level decision-making and the maintenance of special and segregated education systems. Future research should therefore examine how decision-makers’ perceptions and values regarding inclusive education might be shifted.