Saudi Arabia funds international students through several government and university scholarships. The Saudi Government Scholarship covers tuition, a stipend, housing, and airfare across 27 public universities. KAUST fully funds every admitted master’s and PhD student with a living allowance up to $30,000 a year. KFUPM fully funds graduate students in engineering, sciences, and business. Islamic University of Madinah fully funds Muslim male students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. What most guides skip: a Saudi student visa generally does not allow off-campus work, unlike the UAE or UK. This guide covers the scholarships plus the real cost of living, visa process, and work rules.
Why is Saudi Arabia attracting more international students?
Saudi Arabia has expanded its scholarship system rapidly under Vision 2030, and the numbers back it up. Combined government and university funding now exceeds $2 billion a year. Students from over 100 countries study at Saudi universities today. Tuition stays free or low even outside scholarships, and there’s no personal income tax on any stipend or salary you earn. Compared to competitive scholarship pools in the US or UK, Saudi programs still receive fewer applications relative to funding on offer.
That gap gives well-prepared applicants a real advantage. You can browse related options on our Asia region scholarships page if you’re comparing Saudi Arabia against other destinations in the region.
1. Saudi Government Scholarship (Study in Saudi)
The Saudi Ministry of Education runs this flagship program through its Study in Saudi platform. It funds international students across 27 public universities, including King Saud University in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
What it covers:
- Full tuition fee waiver
- A monthly stipend (bachelor’s students typically receive roughly SAR 900-1,200; graduate stipends vary by university)
- Free accommodation in university dormitories, or an accommodation allowance
- Comprehensive health insurance
- A one-time arrival allowance
- Annual round-trip airfare
- Book and study material allowances
How to apply: You submit your application either directly through the admitting public university or through the Saudi Cultural Attaché or embassy in your home country if no local attaché exists. Scholarships fall into two types: internal (for non-Saudi students already residing legally in the Kingdom) and external (for applicants from outside Saudi Arabia).
Deadlines: Deadlines vary by university, generally falling between June and October each year. Confirm the specific window for your target university directly.
Eligibility: Open to applicants from over 150 countries across Diploma, Bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs.
2. KAUST: Full Funding for Every Admitted Graduate Student
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology sits on the Red Sea coast and runs graduate-only research programs. Every admitted master’s and PhD student receives full funding automatically. There’s no separate scholarship application and no competing against other applicants for a limited pool.
What it covers:
- Full tuition
- A living allowance ranging from roughly $20,000 to $30,000 a year, depending on your qualifications and progress through the program
- On-campus housing
- Medical and dental coverage
- Relocation support
Eligibility: KAUST accepts students from all countries pursuing master’s, MS/PhD, or PhD programs in science, engineering, and related fields. You need an IELTS score of at least 6.5 or a TOEFL iBT score of at least 79. GRE scores are optional but strengthen an application. Admission runs on merit alone.
Deadlines: KAUST typically opens applications in mid-August. Recent cycles show an October 1 deadline for spring admission and a May 7 deadline for fall admission, though these shift year to year. Confirm current dates on KAUST’s official admissions page before you apply. If your interest leans toward computer science or AI specifically, our Computer Science & IT scholarships page covers more options across different countries, including the UAE’s MBZUAI scholarship, which runs on a similar automatic-funding model.
3. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)
KFUPM, based in Dhahran, ranks among the strongest research universities in the Kingdom for engineering, sciences, and business. Its graduate scholarships fully fund master’s and PhD students with exceptional academic records.
What it covers:
- Full tuition
- Accommodation
- Living expenses and a monthly stipend
- Travel costs
- Visa processing
- Books
- Subsidized meals
Eligibility: KFUPM targets graduate applicants in engineering, sciences, and business with strong academic records. The university particularly favors research-focused candidates given its industry partnerships in energy and technology. Our Engineering & Technology scholarships page covers similar research-heavy funding routes if KFUPM’s specialization fits your field.
4. Islamic University of Madinah
Founded in 1961 by royal decree, this university in the holy city of Medina offers one of the most sought-after scholarships in the Saudi Arabia. It fully funds undergraduate and postgraduate programs for Muslim male students from any country outside Saudi Arabia.
What it covers:
- Full tuition
- A monthly living allowance
- Free furnished accommodation
- Quality healthcare
- Round-trip airfare, provided upon admission and again at the end of each academic year
Eligibility: Undergraduate applicants must be between 17 and 25 years old with a completed high school diploma or equivalent (12 years of education). Selection weighs academic record, conduct, health, and language proficiency for Master’s applicants. The program currently accepts male applicants only.
Deadlines: Bachelor’s applications typically close in mid-June. Master’s and PhD applications generally close in late October, though some cycles accept Master’s applications year-round. Confirm current deadlines on the university’s official portal, since they shift each year.
Quick comparison
| Scholarship | Degree levels | Funding basis | Key benefit |
| Saudi Government Scholarship | Bachelor’s to PhD | Merit, open application | Access to 27 public universities |
| KAUST | Master’s, PhD | Automatic with admission | Highest living allowance, up to $30,000/year |
| KFUPM | Master’s, PhD | Merit, research focus | Strong in engineering, energy, business |
| Islamic University of Madinah | Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD | Merit (Muslim male applicants) | Full funding plus round-trip airfare every year |
Other universities worth checking
King Abdulaziz University, King Abdullah University’s Al-Khwarizmi Doctoral Fellowship, Al-Majma’ah University, and Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (the world’s largest women’s university, with scholarships exclusively for female students) all run notable programs. Check each institution’s admissions page directly for current openings.
What “fully funded” doesn’t cover
Even the most generous package here leaves gaps most guides don’t mention.
- Student visa costs, covered below, sometimes fall outside your scholarship package. Confirm this specifically.
- Document attestation, needed for Saudi degree recognition, adds cost and time before you even apply.
- Personal spending, phone, and internet stay outside any tuition-and-stipend package.
- The stipend-versus-cost-of-living gap matters most for self-funded or partially funded students, covered next.
Real cost of living: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran
Numbers below reflect 2026 estimates and will shift. Use them for budgeting, not as guarantees.
Self-funded students in Riyadh should budget roughly SAR 1,800-3,500 a month, covering a rented room, food, transport, and a phone plan. Scholarship students with university-provided housing spend far less, since the stipend typically covers day-to-day costs on top of free accommodation.
Rent:
- Private rented room or shared flat in Riyadh: SAR 1,500-2,800/month
- Private rooms specifically: SAR 1,800-3,000/month
- Jeddah and Dhahran run at broadly similar levels, though exact pricing depends on the neighborhood and university
Other monthly costs:
- Transport (Riyadh Metro, buses, ride-hailing): SAR 150-300
- Groceries and food: varies by lifestyle, but a modest budget covers this within the totals above
- No personal income tax applies to any stipend or salary you earn
Currency: the Saudi Riyal (SAR) stays pegged at roughly 3.75 to the US dollar, which keeps budgeting predictable.
Private university tuition (for students outside scholarship programs) runs roughly SAR 40,000-80,000 a year, still moderate by regional standards.
The Saudi student visa: how it actually works
This part catches applicants off guard more than any scholarship detail.
- Sponsorship: your admitting university sponsors your student visa. You don’t apply independently.
- Process: after admission, your university submits your visa application through the Ministry of Education. You travel to Saudi Arabia within the permit’s validity window.
- Medical exam: you complete a mandatory medical exam after arrival.
- Iqama: you then receive an Iqama, the residence permit required for everyday life in Saudi Arabia, including opening a bank account and renting property.
- Financial proof: scholarship students usually satisfy the financial requirement automatically, since tuition, housing, and a stipend are already provided. Self-funded students at private universities need to show proof of funds, typically through a bank statement or sponsor letter.
- Document safety: keep your passport, admission letter, and visa documents secure throughout the process, since your Iqama depends on them.
Confirm exact current requirements with your university and Saudi authorities before applying, since visa rules shift periodically.
Can you work while studying? Mostly no, and this differs sharply from the UAE
This is the single biggest difference from studying in the UAE, and it surprises a lot of applicants.
A Saudi student visa generally does not grant a broad right to off-campus work. Unlike the UK or Australia, there’s no standard part-time work allowance tied to student status.
What actually exists:
- On-campus roles: universities can engage students in teaching assistance, lab work, or departmental support within their own institutional rules.
- Research assistantships: particularly common at KAUST, where graduate students are often funded through research positions built into their academic program rather than separate employment.
- Regular jobs: these require an employer to sponsor a work visa and take over your Iqama sponsorship. In practice, this usually happens after graduation, not during study.
If earning extra income matters to your plans, build your budget around your scholarship and stipend rather than counting on part-time work, since the legal pathway to it is narrow.
After graduation: your visa options
Saudi Arabia’s labor system changed significantly in 2021, and the options for graduates look different from what many guides still describe.
- Standard employer-sponsored work visa: the default route once you receive a job offer. Your employer manages your Iqama and its renewal, typically annually.
- Job mobility: since the 2021 labor reform abolished the kafala sponsorship system for most sectors, employees can transfer to a new employer after completing their initial contract period or after 12 months of service, generally without needing their current employer’s consent.
- Premium Residency (“Saudi Green Card”): launched in 2019 under Vision 2030, this program removes the local sponsor requirement entirely. Categories include Special Talent and Gifted Residency, both aimed partly at high-achieving graduates from top-tier universities, alongside Investor and Entrepreneur tracks. Holders can work in the private sector, change employers freely, and sponsor family members. Costs and eligibility criteria vary significantly by category and change periodically, so confirm current details directly with the Premium Residency Center rather than relying on older figures.
Graduates from KAUST and KFUPM in particular feed into Saudi Arabia’s growing tech, energy, and research sectors under Vision 2030, which makes the employer-sponsored route realistic for scholarship graduates in STEM fields specifically.
Practical life in Saudi Arabia: what to expect
A few cultural and practical points worth knowing before you commit, since they shape daily life more than most scholarship guides admit.
- Dress and conduct: modest dress applies in public. Alcohol remains banned nationwide.
- Prayer times: many businesses pause briefly during daily prayer times.
- Reforms: Vision 2030 has expanded entertainment and public life significantly, and women have been able to drive since 2018.
- Language: Arabic dominates daily life, but English is widely understood on campus and in most professional settings.
How to apply? A step-by-step guide
- Scholarship100 helps you match your field and degree level to the right program. KAUST and KFUPM suit STEM and research-focused applicants. The Saudi Government Scholarship and Islamic University of Madinah cover broader or more specific academic paths.
- Check your target university’s current deadline before you start, since none of these accept late submissions.
- Start document attestation early. This step causes more delays than the scholarship decision itself.
- Prepare your documents: transcripts, degree certificates (attested where required), English test scores unless exempted, a statement of purpose, and recommendation letters.
- Apply directly through the university, the Study in Saudi platform, or your nearest Saudi Cultural Attaché or embassy, depending on the program.
- Once admitted, confirm exactly what your scholarship covers, including visa costs and whether housing comes furnished.
- Budget for the gap between your stipend and real living costs using the figures above, and don’t count on part-time work to close it.
FAQs
Is KASP the same as the scholarships in this guide?
No. KASP (King Abdullah Scholarship Program) funds Saudi students studying abroad. The scholarships covered here fund international students studying inside Saudi Arabia.
Can women apply to these scholarships?
Yes, to most of them. The Saudi Government Scholarship, KAUST, and KFUPM accept applicants of any gender. Islamic University of Madinah’s scholarship currently accepts male applicants only, while Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University offers scholarships exclusively for women.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?
Most programs require it. KAUST asks for a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL iBT score of 79. Requirements vary by university and program, so confirm directly.
Can international students work part-time in Saudi Arabia?
Generally no, not through a standard off-campus work right. On-campus roles and research assistantships exist, but regular jobs require employer sponsorship, which typically happens after graduation.
How much does a Saudi student visa cost?
Your university handles visa sponsorship and processing as part of your admission. Confirm with your specific university whether any visa-related costs fall outside your scholarship package.
Can I stay in Saudi Arabia after graduating without a job yet?
This depends on your specific visa status and university, and rules here shift more than in some other countries. Confirm your options directly with your university’s international student office before your visa expires.
What’s the Premium Residency option for graduates?
Saudi Arabia’s Premium Residency program, sometimes called the Saudi Green Card, includes Special Talent and Gifted Residency categories aimed partly at high-achieving university graduates. It removes the sponsor requirement and allows free job changes. Confirm current eligibility and costs with the Premium Residency Center, since criteria vary by category.
When should I start preparing?
Start at least 6-9 months before your target deadline. This gives you time for document attestation, English test scheduling, and strong recommendation letters.
