Staff at the Seyadah School in Haddad Bani Malik, south of Taif, said the new teacher will teach mathematics and celebrated her appointment with a dinner at the school.

While some education officials in Taif said many teachers had to wait decades to get a job after they complete their training, others said such incidents were rare.

“There is nothing unusual about this woman’s appointment, which is the responsibility of the Civil Service Department. The Education Department is not responsible for the delay,” spokesman for the girls education directorate Fahd Al-Hemyani told Arab News.

There are people who say the incident should be recorded in the Guinness Book, simply because the woman was waiting for such a long time for a job.