Dar al-Tawheed School

Dar al-Tawheed School is the first formal Saudi school for both middle and secondary education, established by the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in Taif Governorate, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in 1945. It was founded to teach Arabic and Shari'ah sciences, coinciding with the educational renaissance in the Kingdom.

Dar al-Tawheed School was preceded by several schools in Saudi Arabia during the reign of King Abdulaziz, including nine elementary schools in Najd and al-Ahsa regions in 1937. These schools represented the first phase of education in Saudi Arabia, followed by the establishment of Dar al-Tawheed School, which graduated its first batch of students in 1949. Later, the College of Shariah in Makkah al-Mukarramah was opened in 1950.

Dar al-Tawheed School was built as an educational center in Taif Governorate for several reasons, such as the strategic geographical location of Taif, connecting Hejaz and Najd regions (historically). Additionally, the environment of Taif helped students integrate with their surroundings and community.

Dar al-Tawheed School played a significant role in the growth of the educational movement in Taif Governorate and Saudi Arabia as a whole. It encouraged a community that was unaccustomed at the time to the school system and hesitant to send their children to school due to the need for their assistance in agriculture and trade. The school hosted students from various provinces and regions, including Najd, Makkah al-Mukarramah, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, and Taif Governorate, with their selection based on specific criteria set by the school.

The school features a historical museum, established by King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), to preserve historical exhibits dating back approximately seventy-five years. The museum houses documents and awards of the school since its establishment, along with files and records of some of its former students. It also showcases the study systems that were adopted at the school.

The researcher, Brigadier General Saleh Ghazi al-Judi, authored a book titled Madrasat Dar al-Tawheed Fi Mizan al-Tareekh (Dar al-Tawheed School in the Balance of History). The book has been published in two editions and is comprised of three chapters. The first two chapters focus on the early stages of education in Saudi Arabia and the biographies of the pioneering educators of that era. The third chapter delves into Dar al-Tawheed School, covering its establishment, objectives, organizational structure, curricula, various activities, and lists of its principals, staff, teachers, and students. The appendices contain the names of student cohorts from the school's establishment until 1959, along with telegrams and photographs related to the school. The appendix of the second edition contains documents, images, and lists of graduates from 1960 to 1980.