General Presidency for Girls Education
{{Short description|Defunct government body that regulated Saudi Arabia's women's education between 1959 and 2002}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = General Presidency for Girls Education
| native_name =
| native_name_a = {{lang|ar|الرئاسة العامة لتعليم البنات}}
| logo = General Presidency for Girls Education logo.jpg
| logo_caption = The logo of GPGE outside its headquarters in Riyadh with a verse from Qur'an (20:114) calligraphed on the wall
| formed = {{Start date and age|1959|10|22}}
| dissolved = {{Start date and age|2002|03|24}}
| superseding1 = Ministry of Education
| jurisdiction = Government of Saudi Arabia
| headquarters = Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| child1_agency = Presidency Agency for Girls Colleges
| website =
}}
The General Presidency for Girls Education (GPGE) ({{Langx|ar|الرئاسة العامة لتعليم البنات}}), also known as the Directorate General for Girls Education (DGGE), was an autonomous government entity in Saudi Arabia that regulated nearly all forms of women's education in the country from 1959 to 2002, independent from supervision of the Ministry of Knowledge.{{Cite book |last=Alwedinani |first=Jawaher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=URuSDQAAQBAJ&dq=General+presidency+for+girls+education+saudi&pg=PA17 |title=Gender and Subject Choice in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia |date=2016-11-08 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-365-52005-1 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=al-Iḥṣāʼ |first=Markaz al-Maʻlūmāt al-Iḥṣāʼīyah wa-al-Tawthīq al-Tarbawī Qism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zFDTAAAAIAAJ&q=%D9%88%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9+%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9+%D9%84%D9%83%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA+%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA+1970 |title=Educational statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |date=1985 |publisher=Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Education, Center for Statistical Data & Educational Documentation, Statistics Section. |language=ar}}
History
Established in 1959{{Cite web |date=2019-09-04 |title=From 'Katateeb' to scholarships: Girls' education in Saudi Arabia takes quantum leap |url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/576355 |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Saudigazette |language=English}}{{Cite web |title=المملكة العربية السعودية : ضوابط تعليم البنات الرسمي |url=https://www.manhal.net/art/s/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.manhal.net%2Fart%2Fs%2F2118 |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=منهل الثقافة التربوية |language=ar-sa}} through a royal decree issued by King Saud,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6KcAAAAMAAJ&dq=general+presidency+for+girls+education+saudi+1960&pg=PA20 |title=Education in Saudi Arabia |date=1991 |publisher=Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in the United States of America |language=en}} it supervised both state-run and private schools for girls, except foreign ones{{Cite book |last=Almunajjed |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WyZ9DAAAQBAJ&dq=general+presidency+for+girls+education+saudi+foreign+schools&pg=PA66 |title=Women in Saudi Arabia Today |date=1997-02-06 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-37310-5 |language=en}} and exercised powers parallel to the Ministry of Knowledge, which then only had authority over schools with male students.{{Cite book |last=Olimat |first=Muhamad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-gg3AgAAQBAJ&dq=Department+of+Religious+Guidance+saudi&pg=PA139 |title=Arab Spring and Arab Women |date=2013-11-26 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-93738-8 |language=en}} It was dissolved and subsequently merged with the Ministry of Knowledge in the aftermath of the Mecca girls' school fire incident in 2002.{{Cite book |last1=Aarts |first1=Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0n4UCgAAQBAJ&dq=saudi+general+presidency+for+girls+education+2002+fire&pg=PA64 |title=Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs |last2=Nonneman |first2=Gerd |date=2005 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-0718-0 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Butera |first=Anita C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a9JJEAAAQBAJ&dq=Department+of+Religious+Guidance+saudi&pg=PA65 |title=The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Through the Eyes of Saudi Women |date=2021-11-03 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-7936-0725-6 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Peterson |first=J. E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nanODwAAQBAJ&dq=general+presidency+for+girls+education+saudi+foreign+schools+gpge&pg=PA76 |title=Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia |date=2020-03-15 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-1980-8 |language=en}}