Strategies of Education and Cultural Attaché in Enhancing Educational Quality at Indonesian School Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v5i1.2689Keywords:
Education and Cultural Attaché, Indonesian Schools Abroad, Educational Quality, Educational Diplomacy, Multicultural EducationAbstract
The role of Education and Cultural Attachés (Atdikbud) in managing Indonesian Schools Abroad (SILN) has become increasingly critical in maintaining educational quality for Indonesian citizens overseas. This study examines the strategic approaches employed by Atdikbud at the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh to enhance educational quality at Sekolah Indonesia Riyadh (SIR). This research aims to analyze the strategies implemented by Atdikbud in improving educational quality, identify challenges encountered, and explore solutions applied in managing SILN within a multicultural context. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with Atdikbud, school principals, teachers, and parent representatives at SIR, complemented by direct observations and document analysis. Data analysis utilized the Miles and Huberman interactive model, incorporating data condensation, data display, conclusion drawing, and verification through triangulation. Findings reveal that Atdikbud implements five primary strategies: (1) policy harmonization between Indonesian and Saudi educational systems, (2) continuous professional development for educators, (3) infrastructure optimization through diplomatic channels, (4) cultural diplomacy integration in curriculum, and (5) stakeholder collaboration enhancement. Major challenges include resource limitations, cultural adaptation barriers, and bureaucratic complexities. Innovative solutions involve technology utilization, local community partnerships, and flexible policy implementation. In conclusion, atdikbud plays a pivotal strategic role in supporting Indonesian education abroad through adaptive leadership, cultural sensitivity, and diplomatic coordination. The study recommends strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, increasing resource allocation for SILN, and developing context-specific guidelines for educational diplomacy in multicultural settings.
References
Affan, M. (2024). Requirements for digital leadership implementation in Indonesian embassy’s schools in Saudi Arabia in accordance with ISTE standards. Journal of Educational and Human Sciences, 33, 165–186.
Ahmad Taha, M. N., & Abdelfattah, D. A. (2023). Branding heritage in multi-cultural societies, with special references to preservation discourses. HBRC Journal, 19(1), 337–354.
Al-Muharraq, S. H. D., & Ageyyaِ, J. (2025). Strategies to Enhance the Academic Performance of Middle School Students in Saudi Arabia: Insights from the Finnish Experience. Contemporary Studies Journal in Education and Psychology, 1(2).
Al Abkal, S., & Neumann, P. (2024). A cross-country analysis (Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait) of the impact of cultural factors on de-radicalisation programmes.
Al Qurtuby, S. (2021). Saudi Arabia and Indonesian Networks: On Islamic and Muslim Scholars. ISLAM NUSANTARA: Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture, 2(2), 17–44.
Al Qurtuby, S. (2022). Comparing Counterterrorism: Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. In Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia (hal. 351–382). Springer.
Alghamdi, A. K. H. (2025). Social media orientation of local and global values in the Saudi Arabian context. Culture, Education, and Future, 3(1), 100–116.
Alghamdi, B., Khadawardi, H., Alghamdi, B., Almathami, K., Alshimai, A., Alqahtani, M., Alanazi, H., Alfawaz, F., Alodhaibi, S., & Talukder, M. (2022). Key Performance Indicators for measuring sustainable performance: a case study of implementing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 34(4), 491–519.
Alghanmi, B. F. (2023). Self-assessment in EFL speaking classroom and its effect on achievement, self-regulated learning, and critical thinking: students’ voices from Saudi Arabia. University of Glasgow.
Almutairi, J. S. (2022). Introducing lesson study in English as a foreign language education: a case study of women teachers’ experiences in Saudi Arabia. Brunel University London.
Almutairi, N. (2025). An Examination of Influencing Factors: Decision-Making of Saudi Arabian Students in the United States. Texas Southern University.
Alshaikh, A. A. N. (2024). Proposed Vision for Enhancing Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (Tpack) Competency Integration Among Secondary School Biology Teachers in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER), 110.
Boulaares, D. M. (2025). Strategic horizons of Arabic: a comparative and geopolitical analysis of Saudi Arabia’s role in global language promotion. Current Issues in Language Planning, 1–15.
Dewi Dirgantari, P., Yusary, S., Adi Wibowo, L., Murtadlo Hidayat, Y., Soeryanto Soegoto, E., Halim bin Mahphoth, M., & Aulia Martha, J. (2022). Increase brand loyalty through brand benefits on domestic products in Indonesia. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research, 9(5).
Handayani, S., Kristianto, V. A., & Aprilianto, R. A. (2025). How Students’ Motivation and Achievement in Saudi Arabia Affect Their Learning Environment. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2), e03871–e03871.
Hawsawi, A. (2024). Development and Evaluation of an Educational Resource to Promote Skin-to-Skin Contact between Mother and Neonate in Saudi Arabia. The University of Newcastle.
Johnson, J. D., Smail, L., Corey, D., & Jarrah, A. M. (2022). Using Bayesian networks to provide educational implications: Mobile learning and ethnomathematics to improve sustainability in mathematics education. Sustainability, 14(10), 5897.
Magliveras, S., & Al Qurtuby, S. (2023). Connecting worlds: Filipino and Indonesian sojourns to Saudi Arabia. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 32(3), 549–571.
Maspul, K. A. (2024). Transforming Education: Saudi Arabia’s Free Education System and Student Support Programs. Literasi Nusantara Abadi Grup.
Masrahi, N. (2023). Sociolinguistics of Saudi Vision 2030: Paradigm Shift Through English Faculty’s Perspectives of Translanguaging at a Saudi University. The University of New Mexico.
Nofiaturrahmah, F., Rahmawati, R. F., Putra, Y. E., & Ernawati, M. (2025). Managerial Practices in Improving the Quality of Education in Sekolah Indonesia Jeddah. Nidhomul Haq: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 10(2), 501–515.
Ridho, M., & Albeshir, S. G. (2024). The Role of School Management in Improving the Quality of Education in Indonesian Embassy Schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, 115, 422–437.
Sibawaihi, S. (2025). Building Character Through Self-Identification in Indonesian Overseas School Students in Saudi Arabia. QALAMUNA: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial, dan Agama, 17(1), 669–684.
Sodiqin, A., & Umroh, R. R. (2023). Towards an interreligious fiqh: A study of the culture-based religious tolerance in the Kaloran community, Central Java, Indonesia. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 61(1), 159–180.
Sofyan, A., & Lesmana, J. A. (2022). Defense Strategy of Religious, Pancasila, and National Culture in Indonesian School and Indonesian Diaspora as Anti-Radicalism Efforts. culture, 9(2).
Waschl, N., & Chen, M. (2022). Cross-Cultural Considerations for Adapting Valid Psychoeducational Assessments. In O. S. Tan, K. K. Poon, B. A. O’Brien, & A. Rifkin-Graboi (Ed.), Empowering Teaching and Learning through Policies and Practice: Singapore and International Perspectives ((ELPSIP,volume 2)) (hal. 113–140). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7405-1_7
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zuhri, A. F., Naimah, S. S. D., Sumarni, S., Sri, A., Nugraheni, I., & Maemonah, M. W. (2024). Sports Learning Innovation Based on Digital Technology at The Indonesian School of Riyadh. ELEMENTARY Islamic Teacher Journal.
Zuhri, A. F., & Sholeh, B. (2024). Indonesian Cultural Diplomacy: The Role Of Indonesian Schools In Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Basic Educational Research, 1(1), 29–36.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Cherry Rinaldi, Amrozi Khamidi, Kaniati Amalia, Mochamad Nursalim, Enny Roesminingsi, Muhamad Sholeh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
