Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
جامعة الإمام عبدالرحمن بن فيصل
The Eastern Province's big public university, built on medicine and architecture, with fully funded places for international students.
- Students
- 45,000
- Tuition
- SAR 0
- From · 2025-26
- Founded
- 1975
- QS World Ranking
- #474
- 2027 edition
About IAU
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University opened in 1975 with two colleges, Medicine and Architecture, admitting both women and men from the start. It grew out of King Faisal University, became the University of Dammam, and took its current name in November 2016, after Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal, father of Saudi Arabia's founding king.
Today IAU has 21 colleges spread across the Eastern Province, with campuses in Dammam, Rayyan (Dammam), Jubail and Qatif, and reports more than 45,000 students. Its strengths are in the health sciences (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, applied medical sciences and public health), backed by King Fahd Hospital of the University, alongside engineering, architecture and planning, design, computer science, business, sciences, education, and sharia and law.
For students from outside Saudi Arabia, the main route is the government-funded external scholarship (grant), applied for through the national Study in Saudi platform: it covers housing, flights and health care, but excludes medical programmes, which are reserved for Saudis. Non-Saudis already living in the Kingdom can join a fee-paying programme instead. IAU suits students who want a large, health-focused public university in the Dammam-Khobar area.
Why students choose IAU
International scholarship students live in student housing free of charge for their whole degree and receive health care like Saudi citizens.
Scholarship students get a flight to Saudi Arabia on acceptance and one at the end of each academic year, plus settling and graduation allowances.
IAU's two founding colleges, Medicine and Architecture, date from 1975, and the university runs King Fahd Hospital of the University.
Non-Saudi residents of the Kingdom can study on a fee-paying programme for SAR 9,200 per semester including VAT.
Admissions
Undergraduate entry, current regulations (2027 dates not yet published)
Selectivity
IAU does not publish an admit rate. Non-Saudi applicants compete on a weighted percentage for a limited number of seats per nationality set by the Ministry of Education, and admission needs Ministry approval.
Typical entry requirements
| External scholarship (applicants living outside Saudi Arabia) | Secondary school diploma from outside Saudi Arabia, attested by the Saudi embassy or cultural attaché; age 17-25; same academic requirements as Saudi applicants; medical fitness |
|---|---|
| Fee-paying programme (non-Saudis resident in the Kingdom) | High school certificate from inside or outside the Kingdom, obtained no more than five years earlier; age 17-25; pass any required test or interview |
Deadlines
IAU says external grant applications are accepted during the dates set in its academic calendar. No 2027 dates have been published on the pages we could access, so check the Study in Saudi platform.
How to apply
Applicants from abroad apply for an external grant online through the Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.moe.gov.sa), uploading a high school certificate and passport stamped by the Saudi embassy or cultural attaché, plus any recommendation letters. Non-Saudi residents apply through the same platform for the fee-paying programme; nominees then complete forms and pledges online before Ministry of Education approval.
What admissions looks for
- Academic results that meet the same requirements as Saudi applicants, ranked by weighted percentage.
- Properly attested documents: certificates and passport stamped by the Saudi embassy or cultural attaché.
- Good conduct, medical fitness and no previous dismissal from a Saudi institution.
- Recommendations from official bodies or institutions in the applicant's home country, which the university may request.
Tips for applying to IAU
- 1 Get your high school certificate attested by the Saudi embassy or cultural attaché early: applications without stamped documents cannot be processed.
- 2 Don't apply for medicine or other health programmes on a scholarship: they are open only to Saudis (and, for residents, to children of Saudi mothers).
- 3 Female applicants on external grants need a male guardian in Saudi Arabia with a valid residence or work arrangement.
- 4 Once nominated, watch for the text message with your personal data form: your status only moves to final acceptance after Ministry approval.
- 5 Scholarship students may not work during their studies or transfer to another Saudi university.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in SAR
International scholarship students from abroad study on a Saudi government grant: free student housing for the whole degree, health care for them and family members, a two-month settling allowance, a three-month graduation allowance, and flights on acceptance, each year and at graduation. Reduced-price meals are also available.
- Free for the whole degree
- Student housing for international scholarship students
- SAR 9,200 per semester including VAT (SAR 18,400 a year)
- Fee-paying programme for non-Saudi residents
- Two months
- Settling allowance on arrival (scholarship students)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (plus summer semester)
Medicine
One of IAU's two founding colleges (1975), linked to King Fahd Hospital of the University; open to Saudi students only.
Architecture
The other founding college from 1975, now the College of Architecture and Planning.
Engineering
The College of Engineering is one of the non-medical colleges open to international scholarship students.
Computer Science and Information Technology
A dedicated college for computing, one of the non-medical fields open to international applicants.
Business Administration
A full College of Business Administration, also open to international scholarship students.
Research
- IAU runs King Fahd Hospital of the University and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University Hospital.
- The university has an Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship with a patents and technology transfer office.
- Research centres include the Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center and the Institute for Research and Medical Consultations.
Schools & faculties
- College of Medicine
- College of Dentistry
- College of Clinical Pharmacy
- College of Applied Medical Sciences
- College of Nursing
- College of Public Health
- College of Engineering
- College of Architecture and Planning
- College of Design
- College of Computer Science and Information Technology
- College of Business Administration
- College of Sharia and Law
Student life
IAU provides student housing for students from outside Dammam and for international scholarship students, with round-the-clock supervisors, study rooms, a library, gyms, a mosque, restaurants, a cafeteria and a supermarket, plus a shuttle between housing and the colleges. Housing runs its own football and volleyball leagues, a talent competition and a welcome party for new students. The International Students' Grants and Welfare Department organises trips around the Kingdom, as well as Hajj and Umrah.
- Free student housing for international scholarship students, with transport to the colleges.
- Student housing football and volleyball leagues and a talent competition.
- Trips around Saudi Arabia, and Hajj and Umrah, for scholarship students.
- Campuses in Dammam, Rayyan (Dammam), Jubail and Qatif.
Housing. The university provides housing for students from outside Dammam and for international scholarship students, who live there free of charge.
Location
The main campus is in Al-Rakah, a coastal area between Dammam and Khobar in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, on the Gulf. Other colleges are in Jubail, an industrial city further up the coast, and in Qatif.
Nearest airport: King Fahd International Airport, Dammam (DMM)
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University for free?
Yes, through a Saudi government external scholarship: tuition is free, and scholarship students get free housing, health care, flights and allowances. Medical programmes are not open to scholarship students.
How do I apply to IAU from outside Saudi Arabia?
Apply online through the Study in Saudi platform, with your high school certificate and passport stamped by the Saudi embassy or cultural attaché in your country.
How much does IAU cost for non-Saudis living in Saudi Arabia?
The fee-paying programme for non-Saudi residents costs SAR 8,000 per semester plus VAT (SAR 9,200), and SAR 4,600 for a summer semester.
Can foreigners study medicine at IAU?
Not on a scholarship. IAU's health programmes are limited to Saudi students, or non-Saudi residents with a Saudi mother.
Is there an age limit for IAU scholarships?
Yes. Applicants for both the external scholarship and the resident programme must be between 17 and 25 years old.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- IAU Deanship of Admissions and Registration: External Grants and Scholarships (archived 2026)
- IAU: Internal Scholarship Program with Tuition Fees for Non-Saudi Students Residing in KSA (archived 2026)
- IAU: Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Students Residing in Saudi Arabia (archived 2026)
- IAU Deanship of Student Affairs: International Students' Grants Department (archived 2026)
- IAU Deanship of Student Affairs: Student Housing (archived 2026)
- IAU: About Us (archived 2026)
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