Study abroad semester in Saudi Arabia

Welcome to Saudi Arabia!

Saudi Arabia, located in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vast desertic country. Its population has traditionally been composed of nomads, villagers, and townspeople, living in a traditionally environment with rural customs. However, the oil boom occurred in the latter part of 20th century, transformed the country into a modern reality, at least in the most developed parts of its territory. Urbanization rate and wealth of Saudi citizens boomed. This led to an increase of immigration, to the point that now more than two fifths of the population is foreign-born.

Its name comes from the Saud family, which ruled the nation a century ago and helped transforming it into a developed country. Weather in Saudi Arabia is quite harsh, with torrid and arid summers and constant hotness even in the coldest months of the year. If you look it from the satellite, you could see why. Nevertheless, cities were established in strategic locations for water supply. Hence, life is still enjoyable and the air conditioning systems are great.

Education is great and open to the world: every year thousands of Saudi students travel abroad for academic purposes, while a significant number of international students apply to domestic universities. With a gigantic financial endowment coming from oil revenues, the state is pushing hard on scientific research and academic excellence.

What are the best universities in Saudi Arabia for semester students?

Are you still undecided whether or not Saudi Arabia might be an appealing destination for you? On wearefreemovers you can find a selection of 4 academic institutions offering you the possibility of spending a semester or a full academic year in Saudi Arabia. Let’s check some statistics about them.

Here you can see the positions of the Saudi Arabian institutions among the world’s best universities rankings.

NAMEQSTHEARWUCWURCWTSEduniversal palmesU.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities RankingsWebometrics
Alfaisal University-251–300-1774----
Effat University--------
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Research only)--201-300326427-121-
Prince Sultan University (Research only)--------

Saudi Arabia has sparse positionings in international rankings. Only two out of four institutions are mentioned, Alfaisal University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which gain some notable result in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking, ARWU and U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Rankings.

Costs and fees

Saudi Arabia is a medium expensive country. Monthly costs of living for a single person are close to 750€. Keep in mind that, as a student, you could have access to various discounts which can include food, travel, and accommodation expenses.

When it comes to university’s fees, Saudi Arabia is medium expensive as well, with a median 5675€/semester for free mover students.

Which Saudi Arabian cities are available for free movers?

Currently there are 3 cities that accept free movers in Saudi Arabia. Have you ever dreamt of studying in Riyadh or any other city in Saudi Arabia? Here you can find institutions divided by city: