What Is the First Government University Established in Saudi Arabia?

King Saud University (KSU), located in Riyadh City, is the first government university established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was founded during the reign of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1957. Studies commenced in the university with the establishment of the College of Arts in the 1957-1958 academic year.

KSU offers a wide range of academic degrees distributed over six major colleges: the College of Business Administration, the College of Architecture and Planning, the College of Computer and Information Sciences, the College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, the College of Sciences, and the College of Engineering. In 2022, the university was officially recognized as an independent, non-profit academic institution with the issuance of its bylaws.

KSU has secured the top position among Saudi and Arab universities and has ranked within the 101-150 category on a global scale in the prestigious Shanghai Ranking's list of the World's Top 1,000 Universities for 2023. This ranking was determined by evaluating over 2,500 universities worldwide.

On July 25, 2023, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, issued a decision forming the Board of Directors of King Saud University under a Royal Order transforming KSU into an independent, non-profit academic institution under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).