King Abdulaziz University
جامعة الملك عبدالعزيز
Jeddah's vast public university, with 100,000+ students and fully funded scholarships for international students through the Study in Saudi platform.
- Students
- 56,251
- International
- 5%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 12.5:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- SAR 20,000
- From · 2024-25 (1446 AH fee-paying guide); scholarships 2026
- Founded
- 1967
About KAU
King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, named after the founder of Saudi Arabia, was established in 1967 as a private university to spread higher education in the western region of the Kingdom, and admitted its first students in 1968. It later became a public university and is now one of the largest in the country: KAU reports more than 100,000 students from 100 countries, 33 faculties and institutes and 419 programmes, including a branch at Rabigh.
The faculties span medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and applied medical sciences; engineering, computing and IT, architecture and planning; sciences, earth, marine and environmental sciences; maritime studies; economics and administration, business, law, arts and humanities, communication and media, education and tourism. There are also an English Language Institute and an Arabic Language Institute for non-native speakers. Men and women study on separate campuses.
For international students, the main door is the government's Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa), through which KAU offers external scholarships. KAU says these typically cover tuition, accommodation and living expenses. KAU's scholarship page lists more than 1,380 international scholarship students, including over 735 bachelor's students. KAU suits applicants who want a fully funded degree in a large Arabic-speaking university, particularly in health sciences, engineering or Arabic and Islamic studies.
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ
“Read: in the Name of your Lord (Quran 96:1)” — university motto
Why students choose KAU
External scholarships through Study in Saudi include housing, a monthly stipend, health care, subsidised meals and a return air ticket each year, according to KAU's admission guide.
KAU reports more than 100,000 students from 100 countries across 33 faculties and institutes and 419 programmes.
The Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers enrols over 200 international diploma students who are building their Arabic.
Specialist units include Faculties of Marine Sciences, Maritime Studies and Earth Sciences and an Institute of Islamic Economics.
Admissions
2027 intake (non-Saudi applicants via Study in Saudi)
Selectivity
KAU does not publish an acceptance rate for international students. Scholarship places are limited, and applications are reviewed first by the university and then by the Ministry of Education.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school certificate (any country) | Attested secondary certificate or equivalent, no more than five years old, with a strong academic record; meet KAU's general admission conditions |
|---|---|
| External scholarship conditions | Home-government approval where required; pass the medical examination; a police clearance certificate; full-time study; no other scholarship from a Saudi institution; KAU may require a recommendation from a named body or person |
Deadlines
- Non-Saudi applicants (inside and outside Saudi Arabia), undergraduate and postgraduate, via Study in Saudi Non-binding Next deadline · Today6 October 2026
Application window 16 September – 6 October 2026, announced by KAU on 8 September 2026.
KAU opened applications for non-Saudi students on the Study in Saudi platform from 16 September to 6 October 2026. The window is short, so apply as early as possible and follow @KAU_Admission on X for updates.
How to apply
Create an account on the Ministry of Education's Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa), complete your profile and apply to KAU programmes during the university's application window. Your application goes to KAU for review and then to KAU and the Ministry of Education for final admission. After acceptance, you apply for a long-term study visa. This requires a passport valid for at least six months, the acceptance, proof of funding or a scholarship, a medical report, medical insurance and proof of language proficiency.
What admissions looks for
- An outstanding secondary-school record: KAU describes its international scholarships as aimed at the best and brightest students.
- Meeting the general admission conditions and programme requirements, with properly attested certificates.
- Suitability for full-time study, with medical and police clearances as required by Saudi regulations.
- Where required, approval from your home government and a recommendation from a recognised body or person.
Tips for applying to KAU
- 1 Watch the calendar: in 2026 the window for non-Saudi applicants was only three weeks (16 September – 6 October).
- 2 Get your certificates attested and your medical report and police clearance ready before the window opens.
- 3 You cannot hold two scholarships for the same degree level, and you cannot change your passport number on the platform after applying, so check your details carefully.
- 4 If your Arabic is weak, consider the Arabic Language Institute's diploma, which KAU also offers to international scholarship students.
- 5 Remember that scholarship students cannot transfer to another Saudi university and must leave the Kingdom within three months of finishing.
Costs & financial aid
2024-25 (1446 AH fee-paying guide); scholarships 2026 · figures in SAR
International applicants from abroad normally enrol on free external scholarships through Study in Saudi. KAU says these typically cover tuition, accommodation and living expenses. Its admission guide lists a monthly stipend, an arrival allowance, housing, health care, subsidised meals, a return ticket each year and a graduation allowance for shipping books.
- 1,386+ (735+ bachelor's, 236+ master's, 187+ PhD, 228+ Arabic diploma)
- International scholarship students (KAU scholarship page, 2026)
- Tuition, housing, monthly stipend, health care, subsidised meals, annual return ticket
- Scholarship benefits
- SAR 40,000 per semester, excluding VAT
- Fee-paying Medicine (non-Saudi residents, 1446 AH)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
The Faculty of Medicine is KAU's highest-fee programme for fee-paying students (SAR 40,000 a semester) and is also offered at the Rabigh branch.
Engineering
Includes rarer specialisations such as nuclear engineering, mining engineering and aeronautical mechanical engineering.
Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies
Separate faculties for marine biology, chemistry, physics and geology, and for marine engineering, navigation and supply chains.
Computing and Information Technology
Computer science, information systems and information technology, in Jeddah and at the Rabigh branch.
Islamic Economics
Taught at KAU's dedicated Institute of Islamic Economics.
Arabic Language Diploma
Offered by the Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers; KAU lists more than 228 international scholarship students on the diploma.
Research
- KAU runs specialist units including the Institute of Medical Genomics and a Research and Consulting Institute.
- Faculties of Marine Sciences, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences reflect KAU's location on the Red Sea coast.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Computing and Information Technology
- Faculty of Architecture and Planning
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Marine Sciences
- Faculty of Economics and Administration
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers
Student life
KAU is a very large urban university with separate male and female campuses in Jeddah and a branch at Rabigh. International scholarship students are housed by the university and get the same access as other students to sports facilities, university trips and cultural and social activities. The university has its own stadium, and student groups such as the KAU Rovers have won national recognition, including an Excellence Shield. International students must follow Saudi residency rules and are sponsored by the university during their scholarship.
- Separate male and female campuses, plus a branch at Rabigh.
- University housing and health care for international scholarship students.
- Access to university sports facilities, trips and cultural activities.
- Students from 100 countries.
Housing. International scholarship students are provided with university housing.
Location
Jeddah, on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast in the Makkah region, is the country's second-largest city (about 3.46 million people) and is known as the "Bride of the Red Sea". KAU describes it as the country's economic and tourism capital, with the largest seaport on the Red Sea.
Nearest airport: King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED)
Notable alumni
- HH Hanan H. BalkhyPhysician; WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; studied at KAU
- RA Raja'a AlemNovelist and International Prize for Arabic Fiction winner; studied English literature at KAU
- NT Nahed TaherEconomist and banker; master's in economics from KAU
- MA Manal al-SharifWomen's rights activist; BSc in computing from KAU
- MF Mariam FardousPhysician, scuba diver and astronaut; studied at KAU
- TA Tasneem AlsultanDocumentary photographer; BA from KAU
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to King Abdulaziz University?
Through the Ministry of Education's Study in Saudi platform (studyinsaudi.sa). In 2026, KAU accepted applications from non-Saudi students from 16 September to 6 October.
Is King Abdulaziz University free for international students?
Students admitted on external scholarships pay no tuition, and KAU says these scholarships typically also cover accommodation and living expenses. Non-Saudi residents on fee-paying programmes paid SAR 10,000–40,000 a semester under the 1446 AH guide.
What does the KAU scholarship include?
According to KAU's admission guide: a monthly stipend, housing, health care, subsidised meals, an arrival allowance, a return ticket each year and a graduation allowance.
Do I need to speak Arabic to study at KAU?
A long-term study visa requires proof of proficiency in the language of study, except for those coming to study Arabic. KAU's Arabic Language Institute offers a diploma for non-native speakers.
What is KAU's world ranking?
KAU is 200th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, in the 351–400 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026, and in the 501–600 band of ARWU 2026.
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.
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