The Special Education Department of the Ministry of Education operates schools for the blind, deaf and the physically and mentally disabled. There are other institutes that care for elderly disabled people. These special schools are part of the Kingdom's effort to encourage every individual to reach his or her full potential.

Adult education is another important part of Saudi Arabia's educational program. The Kingdom established a large number of adult education centers in order to make education available to everyone and to eliminate illiteracy.

For people living in isolated rural areas, the government conducts intensive three-month adult education courses during the summer. These efforts are clearly paying off: The Kingdom's literacy rate is over 90 percent for men, and just over 70 percent for women. The literacy rate for children under 15 is 89.2 percent for boys and 93.2 percent for girls.