Best Online English Courses for Kids in Saudi Arabia 2026: 7 Platforms Compared
Your daughter is in first grade. She comes home with a worksheet that says apple, cat and red, and asks you how to say them. You want to help, but you don't want to teach her the wrong pronunciation, and after work there isn't time to sit down with her every day. That is usually the point at which parents start looking for the best online English courses for kids in Saudi Arabia, and the first search turns up dozens of platforms, each one claiming to be the best.
English now arrives early in a Saudi child's day. In September 2021 the Ministry of Education announced that it would be taught from the first year of primary school for boys and girls, and linked the decision to Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program. But class time at school is limited. A study by Alzahrani (2025) on how the decision was put into practice found that English teachers complain about too few lesson hours and a shortage of teachers, and suggested making up the gap with activities outside the classroom and with technology.
And a child only speaks once they feel at ease. Stephen Krashen called this the "affective filter": an anxious or nervous child hears the word, but it doesn't stick. So we didn't stop at price. We compared Flalingo Kids, 51Talk, Novakid, Cambly Kids, British Council, AllRight and Preply on seven criteria, including one that matters in Saudi homes in particular. Can you choose a female teacher for your daughter? Are the lessons recorded? And who is keeping an eye on your child's safety while they sit in front of the screen? Every price is listed in riyals.
Short Answer
If you want a regular teacher for your child, a report after every lesson, recorded lessons and the option of a female teacher at times that work around Friday and Saturday, Flalingo Kids is the most complete option in 2026. Novakid and AllRight suit children who enjoy learning through play, 51Talk gives you plenty of lessons for less, Cambly Kids is for conversation with a native speaker, British Council is for face-to-face courses, and Preply is for parents who want to pick the teacher themselves.
Contents
How Did We Evaluate the Best Online English Courses for Kids in Saudi Arabia?
We apply six of these criteria in every Flalingo comparison for children, and the seventh is specific to Saudi Arabia. In our comparison for adults, price and flexibility carried a lot of weight. With children the order changes, because the first question most parents ask is simple: who is going to be sitting in front of the camera with my son or daughter?
Quick Comparison Table: 7 Platforms for Kids at a Glance
Prices are approximate and in riyals. Each platform charges in its own way (per lesson, per month or per course), so we have noted the unit next to each figure.
Here is the Saudi criterion in a table of its own, because for many parents it is the one that decides things:
#1 - Flalingo Kids: The Most Complete Choice for Parents Who Want a Regular Teacher and Follow-Up
Flalingo Kids offers live one-to-one (1:1) English lessons for children aged 3 to 17, in four age groups: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13 and over. Lessons last 25 or 50 minutes, and 25 minutes is recommended for preschoolers and children in the first years of primary school. The youngest learn through pictures, songs and games without being asked to read or write, while older children prepare for Cambridge exams and TOEFL.
Teacher selection is strict. Roughly one in every 73 applicants makes it onto the platform. Teachers need a teaching qualification and at least two years' experience, and native speakers hold TEFL, TESOL or CELTA. Those who teach children also go through a background check and child protection training.
For Saudi families, a few details make a real difference. You can filter teachers by gender, and there are both female and male teachers, so choosing a female teacher for your daughter needs no special request and no waiting. There are also teachers whose first language is Arabic, which helps a young child who needs a couple of reassuring words in Arabic during the first lessons. Scheduling is flexible around the Friday and Saturday weekend and Saudi time, the sales team speaks Arabic, and they reply on WhatsApp from 10 am to 11 pm Saudi time.
The Smart Matching system shows you a shortlist of 22 to 30 teachers based on your child's age and level, the times that suit you and the teacher's personality, and the chance that your child stays with the same teacher is over 90%. For a shy child this matters a great deal, because the same face every week means they start speaking sooner. You can begin with the free level test for kids or a free trial lesson of 25 minutes, with no bank card needed.
You can see this cycle step by step, with a sample parent report, on the Flalingo Kids demo page.
Key Features
- Live 1:1 lessons of 25 or 50 minutes, from 1 to 7 lessons a week (2 to 3 recommended)
- Four age groups: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13 and over
- Teacher gender filter, and teachers whose first language is Arabic
- Smart Matching: a shortlist of 22 to 30 teachers, with free teacher changes at any lesson
- A FLAI report after every lesson on pronunciation, fluency and vocabulary range, plus a weekly report for parents
- Short videos from the week's lessons sent to you on WhatsApp
- Every lesson recorded with unlimited access to the recordings, and you can join a lesson live
- FLAI screens lessons for safety and sends an automatic alert to the quality team if it finds risky language or content
- Smart Personalized Materials: the Nia & Leo series for children from preschool to Level 6
- Flalingo Stories: 165 interactive stories for ages 4 to 12, levelled to Cambridge (Starters, Movers and Flyers)
- Flalingo Games: word games such as Balloon Pop and Monster Kitchen
- Mock exams for teenagers, and guidance for parents in Parent Academy
- 24/7 live support, instant messaging with the teacher, and an education advisor
- Cancel a lesson up to 8 hours ahead without losing it
Price
The plans at the top of the kids' pricing page are the 6- and 12-month "Smart Package". Prices are per lesson, the total is shown before you pay, and you can pay in Saudi riyals. The table below assumes one lesson a week:
Both plans include native-speaker teachers, smart matching, the smart materials, FLAI reports and the level placement report, 24/7 support, messaging with the teacher, unlimited access to lesson recordings and an unconditional refund. The 12-month plan adds group classes. If you enrol two children, the second gets 20% off.
Prices last checked: October 2026.
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 3 to 12 starting from scratch or at Pre-A1 and A1
- Girls whose parents prefer a female teacher, and shy children who need the same face every week
- Working parents who want to follow progress through reports without attending every lesson
- Teenagers preparing for Cambridge exams, such as the A2 Key for Schools exam, or for TOEFL
- Families who can set aside around SAR 97 to 145 a month for a 6- or 12-month plan
What Do Parents Say?
Flalingo is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google (710 reviews, October 2026). The two reviews below come from parents whose children study with Flalingo.
#2 - 51Talk: Plenty of Lessons for Less, with a Strong Presence in Saudi Arabia
51Talk is an English platform for children with a clear presence in Saudi Arabia: an office in Riyadh, an Arabic website and blog, and campaigns aimed at the Saudi market. Lessons are one-to-one with a foreign teacher and last 25 minutes, and the platform takes children aged 3 to 15. It says it selects the top 3% of applicants and has more than 10,000 certified teachers, most of them from the Philippines, according to its Arabic blog.
The curriculum is the platform's own, built on the CEFR and aligned with Cambridge YLE from Pre-A1 Starters to B1 Preliminary for Schools, using coursebooks such as Wonders and Reach Higher. Every 4 lessons form a short cycle, and the fourth and eighth lessons of each unit are review lessons. The trial lesson is free and includes a placement test and a personal level report, and an advisor usually gets in touch within 24 hours to set a time.
You can book 3 to 5 days a week and cancel or reschedule up to an hour before the lesson. You can also filter teachers by style, experience and ratings, and pin a favourite teacher for your child. What we couldn't find on its pages: a teacher gender filter, or any detail about background checks on teachers. In the reviews, the complaint parents raise most often is the number of sales calls at renewal time.
Key Features
- 25-minute 1:1 lessons with a foreign teacher, for ages 3 to 15
- Curriculum aligned with CEFR and Cambridge YLE, with vocabulary targets by level (from 360 words to more than 3,300)
- A "learn, practise, test, support" approach: preparation before the lesson, exercises afterwards and teacher feedback
- Bookings 3 to 5 days a week, with cancellation up to an hour before
- Filter teachers by style, experience and rating, and pin a favourite
- A star system in the classroom (AirClass) to keep children motivated
- International group classes as an extra option
Price
A one-to-one lesson with an international teacher starts at USD 9 (≈ SAR 34) for 25 minutes, and international group classes at USD 17 (≈ SAR 64) for 25 minutes, with 4 free sessions a month for a limited number of students. The trial lesson is free and needs no bank card. The final price depends on the plan the advisor suggests after the trial. With 3 one-to-one lessons a week, a month starts at around SAR 440.
Prices last checked: October 2026 (USD 1 = SAR 3.75).
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 3 to 12 who benefit from short, frequent lessons
- Families on a limited budget who want more than two lessons a week
- Parents who want a curriculum tied to Cambridge YLE levels
- Parents who don't mind a teacher who isn't a native speaker
What Do Parents Say?
The platform shows a rating of 4.4 out of 5 on its website, based on more than 24,000 reviews (October 2026). The two reviews below are from Google. The first praises the teachers but criticises the sales calls:
#3 - Novakid: Learning Through Play, with Programmes Arranged by Age
Novakid is an online English school for children. Its Saudi site is entirely in Arabic with prices in riyals, but the lessons themselves are 100% in English. One-to-one lessons last 25 minutes, and there are small-group conversation classes of 45 minutes. The platform says it has around 3,900 certified teachers and that roughly one applicant in 11 makes it through its ten-stage hiring process.
Novakid's strength is the way its programmes are arranged by age. The PRE-K programme for ages 4-5 has 67 lessons over about 6 months and focuses on first words through games, songs and movement. Level 1 for ages 6-7 starts reading and phonics, and the levels continue up to Level 5 for children aged 14 and over. The curriculum is aligned with the CEFR from A1 to B1, and children receive a certificate after each level.
Teachers use gestures and movement (Total Physical Response) so that young children understand without translation. Between lessons there is interactive homework, games and an AI virtual teacher available 24/7. Parents have an account for following progress, the teacher writes notes after every lesson, and recorded lessons are available for review. What we couldn't find: an option to choose the teacher's gender, or any commitment that your child stays with the same teacher.
Key Features
- 25-minute 1:1 lessons and 45-minute group conversation classes
- Age-based programmes from PRE-K (ages 4-5) to Level 5 (14 and over)
- CEFR-aligned curriculum from A1 to B1, with a certificate after each level
- Extra programmes: Time2Talk for conversation and Virtual Explorer for ages 8 and over
- An AI virtual teacher available 24/7, plus homework and interactive games
- A parent account, notes after every lesson and recordings for review
- 2 to 3 lessons a week recommended
Price
Prices start at SAR 360 a month, and the final cost depends on the number of lessons a week, the teacher category and the plan length (3, 6 or 12 months). The trial lesson is free, and there is a 14-day refund guarantee. After that, refunds depend on the lessons used and the company's policy. You can pause or cancel the subscription and reschedule lessons from your account, subject to your plan's terms.
Prices last checked: October 2026.
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 4 to 9 who learn best through play and movement
- Parents who want a clear path with levels and certificates
- Older children who enjoy science and exploring (Virtual Explorer)
- A budget starting at SAR 360 a month
What Do Parents Say?
Novakid is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot (2,591 reviews, October 2026). Here are two reviews from parents, originally written in Arabic:
#4 - Cambly Kids: Conversation with Native Speakers
Cambly Kids is Cambly's section for children aged 4 to 15. Lessons are one-to-one and last 30 minutes, and the platform says all of its teachers are native English speakers, many of them with graduate degrees from universities in the US, the UK and Canada.
Courses are aligned with the CEFR from A1 to C1, and lessons are built around conversation: reading, stories, questions and discussion of topics your child enjoys, with the teacher adapting to their interests. When you create a parent account, you get a free library of games, quizzes and exercises, with no subscription needed. On safety, Cambly Kids holds the kidSAFE Seal.
The subscription renews automatically (every 12 months on the annual plan), and you can switch off renewal from your account at any time. The Cambly Kids page doesn't mention a teacher gender filter or regular progress reports for parents. You can book a favourite teacher when they're available, but there is no guarantee.
Key Features
- 30-minute 1:1 lessons for ages 4 to 15
- Native English-speaking teachers, according to the platform
- Courses from A1 to C1 on the CEFR
- Lessons built on conversation, stories and the child's interests
- A free library of games and exercises with a parent account
- kidSAFE Seal
- Plans of 1 to 3 lessons a week, billed monthly, every 3 months or annually
Price
The price depends on the number of lessons a week and the plan length. With two 30-minute lessons a week, a lesson costs about SAR 102 on the monthly plan, SAR 84 on the 3-month plan (10% off) and SAR 52 on the annual plan (45% off). With 3 lessons a week, the per-lesson price drops to about SAR 98, 81 and 50. So with two lessons a week on the annual plan, a month costs around SAR 447. The 30-minute trial lesson costs a token fee (≈ SAR 3).
Prices last checked: October 2026.
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 9 to 15 who have a foundation and need conversation practice
- Parents who care more about native pronunciation than a structured curriculum
- Families who can commit to an annual plan to bring the per-lesson price down
What Do Users Say?
Cambly is rated 2.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot (264 reviews, October 2026). Before you read the reviews, bear one thing in mind: most of the recent reviews there were written by teachers complaining about hiring and the demand for tutors, not by parents rating their children's lessons. The page also covers Cambly as a whole, not just Cambly Kids. The two reviews below show the difference: the first is from a learner, the second from a teacher who applied.
#5 - British Council: Academic Credibility and Face-to-Face Courses in Saudi Arabia
British Council in Saudi Arabia runs English courses for children at its own centres and partner venues in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Primary Plus (listed on the website as Primary English) is for ages 6 to 11, with six levels from P1 to P6 and 24 hours over 8 weeks. Secondary Plus is for ages 12 to 17, also over 8 weeks, with an online learning platform that students use before and after class.
Online, the British Council's offer for children starts at age 13. EnglishScore Tutors for Teens gives 30-minute one-to-one lessons with British Council certified teachers for ages 13 to 17, bookable around the clock. There is also IELTS Coach Teens for 16- and 17-year-olds. In other words, if your child is under 13, the option open to them is face to face.
Secondary Plus gives parents regular reports, plus an end-of-year report with project assessments against the CEFR and a progress chart, along with an online dashboard. EnglishScore Tutors has a published safeguarding policy and online safety guidelines. The course pages, though, don't mention choosing a female teacher or recording lessons. You can book a free consultation to assess your child's level before enrolling.
Key Features
- Primary Plus: ages 6 to 11, 6 levels, 24 hours over 8 weeks
- Secondary Plus: ages 12 to 17, 8 weeks, with an online learning platform
- EnglishScore Tutors for Teens: 30-minute online 1:1 lessons for ages 13 to 17
- Regular reports and an annual CEFR-based report in Secondary Plus
- A published safeguarding policy for the 1:1 lesson service
- Free consultation to assess level before enrolling
Price
Face-to-face courses have fixed prices in riyals: Primary Plus costs SAR 2,475 per intake (8 weeks, 24 hours, or roughly SAR 103 an hour) and Secondary Plus SAR 2,425, both excluding VAT. The next Primary Plus intake starts on 24 October and finishes on 19 December 2026.
EnglishScore Tutors for Teens is priced in dollars: the introductory session costs USD 1 (≈ SAR 3.75) and a single session USD 32 (≈ SAR 120). Bundles bring the price down: 10 sessions for USD 200 (≈ SAR 75 per session) and 60 sessions for USD 1,095 (≈ SAR 68 per session). If your child doesn't enjoy the first session, you get the full amount back.
Prices last checked: October 2026 (USD 1 = SAR 3.75).
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 6 to 17 whose parents prefer a face-to-face class
- Teenagers aged 13 to 17 who want online 1:1 lessons with a certified teacher
- Parents who want CEFR-based reports from a well-known institution
- Families living near the centres in Riyadh, Jeddah or Khobar
What Do Users Say?
We couldn't find any Trustpilot reviews specifically for the children's courses in Saudi Arabia. The two reviews below are about British Council English Online (online courses for adults), which is rated 3.7 out of 5 (356 reviews, October 2026). We've included them to give you a sense of the teachers' style, but bear in mind that they aren't about children's lessons.
#6 - AllRight: Lessons Built Around the Characters and Games Children Love
AllRight is an English platform for children from the age of 4. Its website is available in Arabic and prices can be shown in riyals. Lessons are one-to-one and last 25 or 55 minutes, and the platform says it has more than 800 certified teachers from 67 countries, each with at least two years' experience and the platform's own certification. You choose your child's teacher yourself.
Lessons are built around children's interests (Minecraft, Roblox, animals and building blocks), and your child picks a favourite character. There is also an animated AI teacher called Charlie AI, and interactive homework between lessons. The course runs to 72 lessons and includes preparation for Cambridge YLE (Starters, Movers and Flyers).
Signing up starts with a 5-minute questionnaire and a 5-minute level test, followed by a free trial lesson. There is a 28-day refund guarantee on unused lessons, and you can cancel the subscription at any time. The subscription does renew automatically, though, and the page doesn't set out a child safety policy in any detail or mention lesson recordings.
Key Features
- 1:1 lessons of 25 or 55 minutes for children from age 4
- 800+ certified teachers from 67 countries, and you choose the teacher
- Lessons built around the child's interests and characters they choose
- An animated AI teacher (Charlie AI) and interactive homework
- A 72-lesson course with Cambridge YLE preparation
- A free month of speaking clubs with some plans
Price
Prices are in riyals and depend on the lesson length, the number of lessons a week and the plan length. With 3 lessons a week at 25 minutes, a lesson costs SAR 55.83 on the monthly plan (SAR 669.96 a month), SAR 32.84 on the 3-month plan, SAR 27.91 on the 6-month plan (SAR 2,009.52) and SAR 24.63 on the annual plan (SAR 3,546.72, or about SAR 296 a month). For 55-minute lessons the per-lesson price is SAR 108.37, then 59.11, then 54.18, then 47.62.
These prices applied during AllRight's birthday offer (50% off the 6-month plan), so they may change once it ends.
Prices last checked: October 2026.
Who Is It For?
- Children aged 4 to 12 who love games such as Minecraft and Roblox
- Children who get bored quickly with traditional study
- Parents who want prices in riyals and discounts on longer plans
- Families preparing their children for Cambridge YLE exams
What Do Parents Say?
AllRight is rated 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot (1,179 reviews, October 2026).
#7 - Preply: Choose Your Child's Teacher Yourself
Preply is an open marketplace with more than 100,000 tutors of over 180 nationalities, and it has a dedicated list of English tutors who specialise in teaching children. Each tutor sets their own price, schedule and approach, and you browse the profiles and intro videos and book. Prices on the list are for 50-minute lessons, which is long for a five-year-old, so agree the lesson length with the tutor from the start.
For parents in Saudi Arabia, its advantage is the "Also speaks" filter. Choose Arabic and you get a list of tutors who speak Arabic, many of them at low prices. And if the first tutor isn't right for your child, you can try another one for free.
The flip side is that everything depends on the tutor you choose: the curriculum, the reports, punctuality and the way they handle children. There is no teacher gender filter, so you choose from the photo and video. The subscription with a tutor renews automatically every 28 days. The kids' tutors page doesn't explain a child-specific safety policy or lesson recordings either, so ask the tutor about these points before you book.
Key Features
- More than 100,000 tutors, with a dedicated list of tutors for children
- Filters for price, time, the languages the tutor speaks and native speakers
- 30% off the trial lesson at the time of review, and a free trial with a second tutor
- A flexible subscription: reschedule, pause or change tutor
- A mobile app rated 4.8 on the App Store
Price
Each tutor sets their own price. The price filter on the kids' tutor list runs from USD 3 to more than USD 50 for a 50-minute lesson (≈ SAR 11 to 188). Some of the Arabic-speaking tutors charged between USD 4 and 12 (≈ SAR 15 to 45) after the trial lesson discount. With one lesson a week with a USD 7 tutor, a month costs around SAR 114.
Prices last checked: October 2026 (USD 1 = SAR 3.75).
Who Is It For?
- Parents who want to choose the tutor themselves and meet them before subscribing
- Older children (9 and over) who can manage a longer lesson
- Families who want an Arabic-speaking tutor at the lowest cost
- Parents who have time to keep an eye on the tutor's quality themselves
What Do Users Say?
Preply is rated 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot (25,774 reviews, October 2026). The first review seems to have been written from a tutor's side, and the second is about the support team:
Which Platform Suits Your Child?
There is no single "best" platform for every child. The more useful question is which mix of features suits your child's age and personality, and your household. Here is our comparison summed up by goal:
- You want a regular teacher, a report after every lesson and the option of a female teacher: Flalingo Kids.
- Your child is young (4 to 7) and loves play and movement: Novakid or AllRight, or Flalingo Kids if you want follow-up and reports alongside the play.
- You want lots of lessons a week on a limited budget: 51Talk.
- Your child is older, has a foundation and needs conversation with a native speaker: Cambly Kids.
- You prefer a face-to-face class from a well-known institution: British Council.
- You want to choose the teacher yourself, and someone who speaks Arabic: Preply.
Before you pay any platform, ask three questions. Can I choose a female teacher? Are lessons recorded, and can I watch them? And who follows up if something goes wrong in a lesson? If the trial lesson doesn't give you a clear answer, that is an answer in itself.
What matters more than the platform is consistency. Two lessons a week for six months with the same teacher gives clearer results than five lessons in one week followed by a break. And if you're thinking of learning English yourself as well, we have a comparison for adults: the best online English courses in Saudi Arabia.
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I am an English teacher with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and over ten years of experience teaching more than 180 students across different age groups. With a student-centered approach, I focus particularly on developing speaking skills, using games and interactive methods to make learning both effective and enjoyable. I adapt my teaching to meet the needs of students with ADHD and specific learning difficulties (SpLD). I also remain actively engaged in academic research.
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