King Saud University

King Saud University (KSU) is the first government-established university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1957 during the reign of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It is one of three universities established during his reign. In 1961, the Islamic University was founded in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, and in 1963, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals was established.

The main campus of King Saud University is located in the capital city, Riyadh, covering a total area of nine million m².

The university was originally named King Saud University, synchronizing with the reign in which it was established. The name was later changed to Riyadh University but was subsequently reverted to King Saud University.

King Saud University ranked ninetieth in the 2024 Shanghai Global Ranking of Universities, thereby achieving the 2025 target of the Human Capability Development Program indicator, "The number of Saudi universities ranked globally among the top 100 universities."

In the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking, the university also ranked 237th globally and sixth in the Arab region. It is one of three independent universities in the Kingdom, the others being King Abdulaziz University and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, based on the new University Law introduced in 2019.

KSU comprises twenty-one colleges, fifteen institutes, and research centers, in addition to research centers within the colleges. The university also has a campus for female students and a medical city.

King Saud University focuses on the development of the urban aspect with the support of the university's General Administration of Projects, which oversees university development projects such as The Botanical Garden Project and the Sustainable Energy Technologies Center, among various others.

The university established the King Saud University Endowment Program, allocating an area of about 180,000 m² to financially and academically support the university. The endowments include the King Abdullah Beacon of Knowledge, university towers such as a five-star hotel tower, the Rajhi Medical Bank Tower, Sheikh Saleh Kamel Tower, hotel suites tower, the Teacher Mohammed Bin Laden Office Tower, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Health and Emergency Research Tower, Dr. Nasser al-Rashid Tower, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi Tower, and Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Abdullah al-Hilil Tower.

King Saud University is an independent non-profit academic institution under the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. On July 25, 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, crown prince, prime minister, and chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, issued a Royal Decree forming the university's board of directors, headed by the Minister of Education, with the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development as Deputy President. Other members include the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, President of King Saud University, President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Governor of the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, CEO of the Riyadh non-profit organization, President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Chambers Federation, a representative of the Public Investment Fund, in addition to Fahad Bin Abdulmohsen al-Rasheed, Salman Bin Mutib al-Sudairy, Tal Bin Hisham Nazer, and Jumana Bint Rashid al-Rashid.

The university has a press named King Saud University Press, through which a series of scientific journals are published, including: Journal of Arts, Journal of Law and Political Science, Journal of Islamic Studies, Journal of Tourism and Antiquities, Journal of Sciences, Journal of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Educational Sciences, Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Journal of Engineering Sciences, Journal of Architecture and Planning, Journal of Languages and Translation, Journal of Computer and Information Sciences, Journal of Dental Science, Journal of the College of Sport Science and Physical Activity.