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Saudi Arabia has set itself the goal of developing a knowledge-based society. Demographic changes and economic growth within short time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led to radical changes of the educational system. Higher education institutions are in expansion and international collaborations are being intensified. The policy of gender segregation based on a neopatriarchal society favored by the tribal system is an important cultural element of Saudi society and influences the Saudi educational culture.This article provides a scientific description and analyzes the main elements of the Saudi higher education system using the few data available due to the limited release of official statistics. Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University is analyzed as a case study based on the author’s experience who taught there as an academic years of 2006 and 2008. Being the first private institution to admit both male and female students it had to face several challenges. Furthermore, the impact of international collaborations is identified by exploring the «King Abdullah Scholarship Programme» which gives thousands of students the opportunity to study abroad.Education while having a global function also fulfills a national function. Therefore, collaborations with Western universities in the Kingdom have created challenges for the recent generations in balancing Western values imposed throughout their higher education with their traditional culture. Due to the policy of gender segregation, the Saudi educational system represents different obstructions and opportunities particularly for female students.

Adequate services for people with special abilities and needs are very limited and are yet to be developed in the Sultanate of Oman. They are mostly located in urban centers and, therefore, out of reach for the majority of people with special abilities and needs, given the fact that there is a high prevalence of disabilities in rural areas due to intermarriage. This lack of attention to the situation of children with special abilities and needs raises serious questions for the government and local authorities as to the nature of their responsibilities for disadvantaged children, youth, and adults. The aims of this descriptive study are twofold: to outline the beliefs, reactions, and coping strategies adopted by caretakers and professionals within support services; and to depict the conditions and characteristics of the social support system. The available information published mostly in Arabic is complemented by the views and experiences of professionals working in various organizations. The findings show that systematic monitoring of the prevalence of various disabilities in the community is critical and closely linked to the need for development of more adequate services. In addition, it shows that awareness of the rights of children, youth, and adults with special abilities and needs must be improved in order to counter stigma-related discrimination and to assure access of people to special needs services.