A government website registered with the Digital Government Authority.A government website registered with the Digital Government Authority.The Implementing Rules aim to detail the provisions of the eLearning Regulations, approved by the Board of Directors of the National eLearning Center (NeLC) under Decision No. 46/17/6, dated 11/5/1446H, and to outline the conditions and requirements necessary to regulate the eLearning sector and control its quality within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to facilitate the achievement of its objectives and enhance trust therein.
Online training falls under the concept of eLearning in these Implementing Rules, which encompasses all educational and training programs, courses, and activities delivered through any mode of eLearning.
In addition to the terms and phrases defined in Article 1 of the eLearning Regulations, which have the same meanings in these Implementing Rules, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise.
All government, private, and non-profit entities—whether local or international— ](/regulations-and-standards/elearning-terms) that provide eLearning activities shall comply with these Implementing Rules.
All government, private, and non-profit entities—whether local or international— that provide eLearning activities shall comply with these Implementing Rules. .
The Center shall be responsible for regulating eLearning and controlling its quality, in accordance with the definitions provided for 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 deemed equivalent to those awarded through regular learning; they shall receive equal recognition, and no distinction shall be made between them, nor shall the mode of learning be indicated on the awarded certificate.
All government, private, and non-profit entities—whether local or international—that provide education or training through any mode of eLearning within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and grant certificates of completion shall obtain the necessary licenses and meet the requirements before commencing their activity, in accordance with the provisions of these Implementing Rules and the standards and requirements specified by the Center.
The Center shall license eLearning programs—both synchronous and asynchronous—delivered in the distance learning or blended learning modes, in accordance with these Implementing Rules and the eLearning standards issued by the Center, as follows:
To obtain a license for a program delivered in one of the eLearning modes mentioned in Article 8, the following conditions shall be met:
The Center shall process licensing requests and issue its decision—either granting the license or rejecting the request, with reasons stated—within a period not exceeding five working days.
The licensed entity shall comply with the following controls:
The grant of the license shall be subject to payment of a fee. The entity shall not be entitled to a refund of, or to claim, the fee for any reason, whether due to its own decision to cease activity or in the case of license suspension or cancellation by the Center as a result of a violation committed by the entity.
Individuals may provide eLearning services for remuneration upon meeting the following requirements:
If an entity violates the provisions of the eLearning Regulations, these Implementing Rules, or any of the standards issued by the Center, or if a local or international entity conducts eLearning activities without obtaining the necessary licenses, the Center reserves the right to take one of the following measures, depending on the type and impact of the violation:
The Center shall be responsible for accrediting providers of technical and digital solutions in the eLearning sector—such as platform providers, testing services, content development, and other support services—and for evaluating them periodically in accordance with the provisions of these Implementing Rules.
To obtain accreditation, providers of eLearning support services shall meet the following requirements:
1- 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- Pay the fee, if applicable. The provider shall not be entitled to a refund of, or to claim, the fee for any reason, whether upon termination of its activity or cancellation of accreditation on account of the provider’s violation of the rules.
4- Fulfill all accreditation conditions, requirements, and standards issued by the Center. An incomplete application shall be permanently canceled if it is not resubmitted within 90 working days from the date the applicant is notified of the Center’s comments on the application.
5- Share data with the Center in accordance with the controls and policies issued by the Center.
An accreditation issued by the Center shall not constitute an intellectual property document.
The service provider may apply to cancel the accreditation, and shall bear responsibility for any harm caused to the beneficiary entities as a result of the cancellation.
The Center shall monitor the performance of providers of eLearning support services periodically to ensure continued compliance with the standards. If the accredited provider violates the rules governing its practice or any accreditation conditions or requirements, the Center may warn the provider and remove it from the list of accredited providers on the Center's website until it complies with the comments received from the Center. The Center has the right to suspend or cancel the accreditation if the provider fails to comply with the comments received from the Center within 30 working days from the date of the warning
Providers of eLearning support services who are accredited by the Center shall comply with the following:
1- Complying with the relevant laws and regulations in force within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including any subsequent updates.
2- Using the accreditation solely for the purpose for which it was issued without exceeding the scope of the approved accreditation.
3- Complying with the accreditation conditions, requirements, and standards set by the Center, and responding to any amendments, additions, or deletions thereto.
4- Obtaining the Center's approval before using its logo and complying with the controls governing its use.
5- Qualifying the beneficiary entities in accordance with the eLearning and training standards approved by the Center.
6- Providers of content-related services shall ensure that the provided content aligns with the cultural and social values of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
7- Disclosing to the Center, in accordance with the mechanism established by the Center, any updates or changes to the services that may affect compliance with the standards and requirements.
Government entities engaged in eLearning shall comply with using the shared digital learning resources, in accordance with the standards and requirements set by the Center.
The compliance includes the use of systems, tools, and unified digital content to meet eLearning needs.
Government entities may request an exemption from using the shared digital resources in specific cases determined by the Center, such as :
Special educational or training needs that are not met by the shared resources.
Sector-specific technical or professional requirements. An exemption request shall be submitted to the Center with a statement of reasons, and the Center has the right to approve or reject the request.
The Center shall monitor the use of the shared digital resources by government entities to ensure compliance with the standards and achieve efficiency.
If a government entity fails to comply with the use of the shared digital resources without an approved exemption, the Center has the right to take the necessary measures in coordination with the competent authorities.
The Center shall comply with the following:
Continuously updating and developing the shared digital resources to meet the needs of government entities.
Enabling government entities to contribute to the development of the shared resources, in accordance with the standards and procedures set by the Center.
These Implementing Rules shall be published on the Center's website and shall repeal any provisions conflicting therewith. They shall take effect upon the entry into force of the eLearning Regulations, and the Center shall be responsible for reviewing, amending, and updating them.
