Saudi Arabia's scholarship landscape looks different from most countries covered in this series, because the largest source of funding for Saudi students studying abroad isn't a foreign government or a private foundation — it's the Saudi government itself. Programs coordinated through the Ministry of Education, including the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and several more specialized tracks, have sent tens of thousands of Saudi nationals to universities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland since the mid-2000s, aligned with the country's Vision 2030 push to build a skilled national workforce. Alongside these government tracks sit foundation-run programs for gifted students and creative fields, company-sponsored routes tied to specific employers, and university-run merit scholarships for Saudi students who choose to fund their own study. This guide walks through each of these routes, what eligibility looks like in practice, and the steps that improve your odds of securing funding. Requirements, approved-university lists, and funding levels change from year to year and even from cohort to cohort, so treat every detail here as a planning guide and confirm the current rules on the Ministry of Education's own portal before you commit time to an application.
Key Takeaways
- Most funded study abroad for Saudi nationals runs through Ministry of Education government tracks — chiefly the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and the more flexible Excellence Track Scholarship — rather than through foreign-government or third-party scholarships.
- These government tracks require an unconditional admission offer from a university on the program's approved list first; the scholarship application follows admission, not the other way around.
- Specialized routes exist alongside the general government tracks: the Ministry of Culture Scholarship Track for creative fields, Mawhiba for gifted students, the MiSK Foundation for fellowships and traineeships, and company-sponsored routes through employers such as Saudi Aramco and SABIC.
- Requirements have tightened over time — historically shifting toward top-ranked programs and universities — so confirming the current approved-university and approved-major lists before you apply is essential rather than optional.
- Self-funded Saudi students can still access real funding through university merit scholarships abroad, including tracks some UK universities run specifically for students domiciled in Saudi Arabia.
Where Saudi students find funding to study abroad
Funding for Saudi students studying abroad comes from a smaller number of channels than in most countries, but each one is substantial.
Ministry of Education government scholarship tracks. The flagship is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, the largest and longest-running of Saudi Arabia's outbound scholarship schemes, which aims to place Saudi nationals in fields aligned with national labor-market priorities at universities across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland. Coverage typically includes tuition, living expenses, medical insurance, and travel, for bachelor's, master's, and PhD study, but admission is conditional on securing an unconditional offer from a university and program that appears on the scheme's approved list — the list itself is reviewed and can change, so confirming your target university and major are currently eligible is a necessary first step, not a formality. A more flexible companion route, the Excellence Track Scholarship, drops the requirement for an employer sponsor and lets students apply for admission and funding themselves, covering a somewhat broader range of majors at the world's top-ranked universities, though it comes with its own approved-university and approved-major lists that need separate confirmation.
Specialized foundation and Ministry programs. The Ministry of Culture runs its own scholarship track dedicated to creative fields — interior design, visual arts, fashion, culinary arts, film, theatre, and museum management among them — which asks for a professional portfolio or samples of prior work alongside the standard academic documents. Separately, Mawhiba (the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity) supports academically gifted students, the MiSK Foundation runs fellowship and traineeship programs aimed at building leadership and technical skills, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) runs its own Gifted Student Program for exceptional candidates in STEM. The Royal Commission for AlUla also funds scholarships tied to its cultural-heritage and tourism development priorities.
Employer and vocational sponsorship. A meaningful share of Saudi students studying abroad go through employer-sponsored routes rather than a government scholarship directly — companies such as Saudi Aramco and SABIC sponsor employees and, in some cases, prospective employees for degrees relevant to their industries, typically with a return-to-work condition attached. The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) run related sponsorship and training routes for vocational and public-sector career tracks.
University merit scholarships for self-funded students. Not every Saudi student studying abroad relies on a government or employer scholarship, and universities in popular destination countries know it. The University of Manchester's Global Futures Scholarship specifically includes an award track for self-funded international students domiciled in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, discounting published international tuition fees for both undergraduate and master's study. Other institutions run comparable merit-based awards open to strong international applicants more broadly, including the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford and the Karsh International Scholarship at Duke University. Our universities catalogue and programs search let you compare institutions and funding pages side by side, including options like the University of Cambridge and the Australian National University. Our full, regularly updated scholarships directory and scholarship finder cover many more, searchable by country and field, and our dedicated hub of scholarships for Saudi students tracks active, code-matched awards.
How to win: a step-by-step approach
Step 1: Choose the right track
Start by matching your situation to the right scheme rather than applying broadly. If you have an employer willing to sponsor you, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques track or a direct employer-sponsored route may fit best. If you're applying independently without a sponsor, the Excellence Track Scholarship or a self-funded university merit scholarship may be more realistic. If your field is creative or research-based, check the Ministry of Culture track or Mawhiba specifically before defaulting to the general government scheme.
Step 2: Secure a qualifying university admission first
Unlike scholarships that are awarded before you have a university place, Saudi government scholarship tracks generally require an unconditional admission offer from a university and program on the scheme's approved list before your scholarship application can proceed. This means your university and program research has to happen first, checked carefully against the current approved list, since the list is reviewed and can change between cohorts.
Step 3: Prepare strong documents early
Attested academic certificates and transcripts, proof of English (or, where relevant, other language) proficiency, a CV, and — for the Ministry of Culture track specifically — a professional portfolio or samples of prior work, form the backbone of most applications. Research-based master's and PhD applicants should also prepare a research proposal. Because certificates typically need to be attested by the relevant authorities, and some programs also require a medical examination and a non-criminal record certificate, start gathering these well before your intended application window.
Step 4: Apply through the official portal and track deadlines
Applications for Ministry of Education tracks run through the Ministry's own scholarship systems rather than through a single global platform, and each track has its own cycle and approved-list update schedule. Keep a record of every requirement and deadline, and check the Ministry's portal directly and periodically rather than relying solely on secondhand summaries, since approved-university and approved-major lists are amended at the Ministry's discretion.
Step 5: Complete pre-departure steps and accept promptly
Once approved, most tracks require you to complete a medical examination, provide a non-criminal record certificate, and finalize visa and travel arrangements before your enrollment date. Because funded places and university start dates are both time-sensitive, move on these steps as soon as you're notified rather than waiting until close to your intake — see our guides to student visas for the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia once you have a confirmed place.
Eligibility realities for Saudi students
Some patterns show up consistently across Saudi Arabia's scholarship system, and it's worth planning around them rather than being surprised by them:
- Admission has to come before funding. Nearly every government track requires an unconditional university offer on the approved list before you can apply for the scholarship itself — treat your university applications as the first and most important step, not a formality that follows a funding decision.
- Approved-university and approved-major lists shift over time. Requirements have historically moved toward top-ranked programs and institutions as the government has adjusted the scope of its scholarship schemes, so a university or major that qualified in a previous cohort isn't guaranteed to still qualify — always confirm against the current list.
- Age and prior-scholarship rules apply. General guidance from the Ministry of Education sets rough age ranges for different study levels (younger for undergraduate and Arabic-language study, older for master's and PhD study), and applicants who already hold another scholarship from a Saudi institution are typically not eligible for a second one — check the specific rules for your track.
- Not every track needs an employer sponsor. The Excellence Track Scholarship was specifically designed to remove the sponsorship requirement, so lack of an employer backer doesn't rule out government funding if your profile fits this route instead.
- Self-funded students still have real options. University-run merit scholarships — including tracks some institutions design specifically for students domiciled in Saudi Arabia — mean that not qualifying for or choosing not to pursue a government track isn't the end of the funding conversation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying for a scholarship track before confirming your target university and major are actually on that track's current approved list.
- Assuming all Saudi government scholarships require an employer sponsor, and ruling yourself out of funding without checking the Excellence Track Scholarship.
- Missing the portfolio or research-proposal requirement for creative or research-focused tracks because it wasn't part of a more general application checklist.
- Leaving attestation, medical examinations, or non-criminal record certificates until after approval, when they're often needed earlier in the process than expected.
- Overlooking university-run merit scholarships entirely because a government track didn't work out, when self-funded routes with real financial value are often still available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main scholarship program for Saudi students to study abroad?
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program is the largest and longest-running government scheme, covering tuition, living expenses, medical insurance, and travel for bachelor's, master's, and PhD study at approved universities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland. The more flexible Excellence Track Scholarship, which doesn't require an employer sponsor, runs alongside it for students who prefer to apply independently.
Do I need a job or employer to get a Saudi government scholarship?
Not necessarily. While some routes are tied to employer sponsorship, the Excellence Track Scholarship was specifically designed for students without a sponsoring employer, letting them apply for admission and funding on their own. Confirm which track fits your situation rather than assuming sponsorship is always required.
Can Saudi students get scholarships directly from foreign universities?
Yes. A number of universities in popular destination countries run merit-based scholarships open to self-funded international students, and some — including the University of Manchester's Global Futures Scholarship — include award tracks specifically for students domiciled in Saudi Arabia. These sit alongside, not instead of, the Ministry of Education's government tracks.
How do I know if my university and major qualify for a Saudi government scholarship?
Each track publishes its own approved-university and approved-major lists, which are reviewed and can change between cohorts. The only reliable way to confirm eligibility is to check the current list on the Ministry of Education's official scholarship portal before you finalize your university applications, rather than relying on a previous year's list or a secondhand summary.
Are there scholarships in Saudi Arabia for creative fields like art, design, or film?
Yes. The Ministry of Culture runs a dedicated scholarship track for creative and cultural fields, including interior design, visual arts, fashion, culinary arts, film directing, theatre, and museum management, which asks for a professional portfolio or samples of prior work alongside standard academic documents.
Sources
- EducationUSA — Scholarships available for Saudi Students
- Ministry of Education (Saudi Arabia) — Scholarships in Public Universities
- AACRAO — Scholarship opportunities abroad: Saudi Arabia
- University of Manchester — Scholarships for students from Saudi Arabia
- Abroad SA — Guide to Saudi Arabia's Scholarship Programs