The Implementing Rules of the eLearning Regulations

The Implementing Rules aim to elaborate the provisions of the eLearning regulations, which were approved by the Board of Directors of the National eLearning Center (NeLC) under Decision No. (6/17/46) dated 11/5/1446  AH. These Rules outline the conditions and requirements to regulate the eLearning sector and ensure its quality within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to fulfill its goals and enhance trust in it. 

Online training falls under the concept of eLearning in these Implementing Rules, which includes all educational and training programs, courses, and practices delivered through any mode of eLearning.

In addition to the terms and phrases defined in Article 1 of the eLearning Regulations and that refer to the same meanings in these Implementing Rules, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise. 

1. Regular Learning: Education or training that takes place with the learner within an integrated educational system. It includes the essential elements of the educational process, such as direct interaction between the teacher and the learner or among learners themselves, within the premises of the educational institution.
2. Technology-Enhanced Learning: A type of e-learning that utilizes various technologies or their applications to support the educational process within regular education.
3. Distance Learning: A mode of education in which electronic means and technologies are used in the educational process and interaction management. It is characterized by a separation between the teacher and the learner, among learners themselves, or between learners and learning resources. This separation can occur either in terms of location, outside the premises of the educational institution, and/or in the timing of learning.
4. Blended Learning: One of the eLearning modes that combines regular learning and distance learning within the credit hours.
5. Synchronous Learning: One of the distance learning modes in which simultaneous interaction occurs between the learners and educators.
6. Asynchronous Learning: One of the distance learning modes that requires no simultaneous interaction between the learning process participants.

Institutions must adhere to the terminology, guidelines, standards, and controls issued by the Center. In case the terminology differs, the provisions shall be applied according to the meanings outlined in these Implementing Rules.

All government, private, non-profit, local, and international institutions that offer eLearning activities must comply with these Implementing Rules. 

The Center shall be responsible for regulating and ensuring the quality of eLearning, according to the definitions provided in Article 2 of these Implementing Rules, which encompass the following main modes of eLearning:

1. Technology-Enhanced Learning
2. Blended Learning
3. Distance Learning

Certificates awarded through eLearning programs licensed by the Center shall be considered equivalent to those awarded through regular learning. Such certificates shall receive equal recognition, and no distinction or reference to the mode of delivery shall be reflected on the awarded certificate. 

All local or international government, private, or non-profit institutions that offer learning or training through any mode of eLearning within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and grant certificates of completion must obtain licenses and fulfill the requirements before commencing their practice, in accordance with these Rules, standards, and requirements specified by the Center. 

The Center licenses eLearning programs—both synchronous and asynchronous—delivered in the distance or blended learning modes, in accordance with these Rules and the eLearning standards issued by the Center, as follows:

1. A license for a program or course delivered in the blended learning mode. 
2. A license for a program or course delivered in the distance learning mode. 
3.  A license for a program or training course delivered in the blended learning mode. 
4. A license for a program or training course delivered in the distance learning mode.

 To obtain a license for a program delivered through one of the eLearning modes mentioned in Article 8, the following conditions must be met: 

1. The program must obtain the licenses and requirements from the relevant ministries, authorities, and institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
2. The program must fulfill the eLearning standards and requirements issued by the Center through the National eLearning Platform. 
3.  Payment of the applicable fees. 
4. The institution must be technically integrated with the National eLearning Platform and share data in accordance with the conditions and requirements established by the Center.

The Center is committed to processing licensing requests and issuing a decision —either granting the license or rejecting the request with justification—within a period not exceeding five (5) working days.

The licensed institution must comply with the following controls:

1. Adherence to the laws and regulations in force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as issued by the competent authorities.   
2. The license must not be used for purposes other than those for which it was granted.
3. The license issued by the Center is not considered an intellectual property document for the learning or training program or its content. The Center shall bear no responsibility for the content provided by the licensed institution. The institution must comply with the online publishing regulations and respect intellectual property rights.
4.  The institution must implement appropriate measures to protect the rights of beneficiaries in the event of suspension or cancellation of the license, or if action is taken against it by the Center—such procedures include transferring beneficiaries to equivalent licensed programs or refunding their payments.
5. The institution shall comply with the controls and conditions for using the Center’s logo as published on the Center’s official website. 
6. The institution must implement all updates to the standards, conditions, and requirements approved by the Center throughout the license period.
7.  The institution must respond to the Center’s requests for information—through the designated channels—for the purpose of periodically monitoring the quality of licensed eLearning programs and ensuring compliance with the standards.
8. The institution must disclose to the Center, in accordance with the mechanism established by the Center, any updates or changes made to the licensed programs or courses that may affect their compliance with the standards and conditions.

1. The institution has the right to suspend or cancel its license in accordance with the controls and procedures set by the Center. 
2. If the institution wishes to reactivate the license after suspension, it must pay the reactivation fee as determined by the Center.

The fee is charged for the purpose of granting the license. The institution is not entitled to a refund or to claim the fee for any reason, whether due to its own decision to cease action or in the case of license suspension or cancellation by the Center as a result of  a violation committed by the institution. 

Individuals are permitted to offer eLearning services for a fee, once the following requirements are met: 

1. The individuals must provide their services through a learning or training institution that offers programs or courses licensed by the Center, and in accordance with the conditions set forth in these Implementing Rules. 
2. The institution shall be fully responsible for implementing the provisions and conditions related to the practice, regardless of their type or issuing authorities. It shall bear joint responsibility with the affiliated individual for any violations of the conditions and requirements set by the Center.

If an institution violates the provisions of the eLearning Regulations, the Implementing Rules, or any of the standards issued by the Center, or if a local or international institution conducts eLearning practices without obtaining the licenses, the Center reserves the right to implement one of the following procedures, depending on the type and impact of the violation: 

1. Issue a warning to the institution and grant a grace period of (30) working days to rectify the situation. 
2. Suspend the license of the specific program or all programs offered by the institution.     
3. Revoke the license of the specific program or all programs offered by the institution. 
4. Take procedures to halt the institution’s operations and prohibit it from engaging in eLearning practices, in coordination with the relevant competent authorities. 

1. The institution shall be officially notified of the violation through official channels, the licensing platform, or the email of the institution’s representative. The notice shall specify the violation(s), the method of rectification, the defined grace period, and the subsequent action the Center shall take if the issue is not resolved—based on forms developed by the Center for this purpose.
2. The Center may extend the grace period for rectification, provided that the institution commits to addressing all internal violations. 
3. The Center reserves the right to suspend or cancel the license if the institution does not respond to the Center’s notice within (30) working days from the date of the warning.
4. The institution is prohibited from announcing programs or accepting beneficiaries after receiving a notice, unless it receives confirmation from the Center indicating that the reasons for the warning have been resolved. If the institution fails to comply, it shall bear full responsibility for any consequences toward both the Center and the beneficiaries.
5. The Center may publicly  announce the violating institutions through the Center's official channels. 

1. Institutions shall be entitled to submit their objections to the Center in the following cases:

    1.1 Failure to issue the license or delay in issuance.

    1.2 The procedures and decisions taken against them by the Center due to violations.

2. A letter or document stating the reasons that support the objection must be attached with it.

3. A committee shall be formed at the Center to consider those objections and grievances, including members who have not previously looked upon the matter, and it may include an eLearning specialist or a legal specialist from outside the Center. The committee must consider the request and decide within a period not exceeding thirty (30) working days, provided that the objector undertakes to provide all necessary evidence.

4.The institution shall bear all financial costs resulting from objections and grievances as determined by the Center, and it has the right to recover them in case the decision is in the institution’s favor  regarding the objection or grievance.

The Center shall be responsible for accrediting service providers that provide technical and digital solutions in the eLearning sector—such as platforms, testing services, content development, and other support services—and for evaluating them periodically according to the provisions in these Implementing Rules.

 To obtain accreditation, eLearning service providers must satisfy the following criteria:

1. The provider must be an officially licensed entity, authorized to operate within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its respective field of practice.
2. Register and submit all required documents.
3. Payment of the fee - if applicable - and the entity is not entitled to a refund of the fee or to claim it for any reason, whether upon termination of its activity or upon revocation of accreditation due to its non-compliance with the regulations.
4. Fulfillment of all conditions, requirements, and accreditation standards issued by the Center. The incomplete application shall be permanently canceled if not resubmitted within ninety (90) working days from the date the applicant is notified.
5. Sharing data with the Center in accordance with the controls and policies issued by the Center. 

An accreditation issued by the Center is not considered an intellectual property document.

The service provider may cancel the accreditation and shall bear responsibility for any harm caused to the beneficiaries as a result of the cancellation. 

1. The Center monitors the performance of eLearning service providers periodically to ensure continued compliance with the standards.
2. If the accredited provider violates the regulations governing its practice or one of the accreditation conditions and requirements, the Center may notify the provider and remove it from the list of accredited providers on the Center's website until responding to the notice received from the Center. 
3. The Center has the right to suspend or revoke the accreditation in case the provider does not respond to the notice received from the Center within thirty (30) working days from the date of the notice.

eLearning service providers accredited by the Center must adhere to the following: 

1. Compliance with the relevant rules and regulations within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including any subsequent updates.
2. The accreditation must be used solely for the purpose for which it was issued and must not exceed the scope of the approved qualification.
3. Compliance with the conditions, requirements, and accreditation standards  set by the Center, and responding to any amendments, additions, or deletions that may occur.
4. The Center's approval must be obtained before using its logo, and the service provider shall comply with the controls and conditions for its use.
5. Adherence to qualifying beneficiaries in accordance with the eLearning and training standards approved by the Center.
6. The service provider of content-related services must ensure that the provided content aligns with the cultural and social values of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
7. Disclosure to the Center according to the mechanism established by the Center, of any updates or changes to the services that may affect compliance with the standards and requirements.

1. Government institutions engaged in eLearning shall adhere to using shared digital learning resources, in accordance with the standards and requirements set by the Center. 
2. The adherence includes the utilization of systems, tools, and unified digital content to fulfill eLearning requirements.

Government institutions may request an exemption from using shared digital resources in specific cases defined by the Center, such as:

1. Special educational or training needs that are not met by shared resources.
2. Sector-specific technical or professional requirements.

An exemption request must be submitted to the Center with a justification, and the Center reserves the right to approve or reject the request.

The Center shall monitor the use of shared digital resources by government institutions to ensure compliance with the standards and achieve efficiency. 

If a government institution fails to comply with the use of shared digital resources without an approved exemption, the Center is authorized to take the necessary actions in coordination with the relevant authorities. 

The Center shall commit to the following:

1. Continuously updating and developing shared digital resources to meet the needs of government institutions.
2. Enabling government institutions to contribute to the development of shared resources, in accordance with the standards and guidelines set by the Center.

These Rules are published on the Center's website and shall repeal any provisions conflicting therewith.

The Rules shall be immediately effective upon the enforcement of the eLearning Regulations, and the Center shall be responsible for reviewing, amending, and updating them.