King Abdulaziz University Scholarship 2026: Saudi Arabia Funds Tuition, Housing and a Stipend for Pakistani Students

King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah runs a fully funded scholarship for Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students from outside Saudi Arabia, and Pakistani students remain eligible to apply for the 2026-27 academic year. The scholarship pays tuition, free on-campus housing, health insurance, a monthly stipend, and one return ticket home each year, removing nearly the entire financial barrier to studying in Saudi Arabia.

The Bachelor's intake for this cycle has already closed. Several scholarship-tracking sites report that Master's and PhD applications stay open later into 2026, though, as this article explains in detail below, the exact closing date depends on which source you check — and the sources disagree with each other.

Below: what the scholarship actually pays for, who can apply, the documents a Pakistani applicant needs, the application steps, and — most importantly — where to confirm the real deadline instead of trusting a single recycled blog post.

What does the King Abdulaziz University Scholarship cover?

Short answer: full tuition, free on-campus housing, health insurance, a monthly living stipend, and an annual return ticket to Pakistan, for the full length of the Bachelor's, Master's or PhD program.

Scholarship-tracking sites covering this program report broadly consistent stipend figures, summarized below.

Who can apply? Eligibility for Pakistani students

Short answer: any Pakistani citizen living outside Saudi Arabia, with a strong academic record and no current Saudi residency, can apply at the Bachelor's, Master's or PhD level.

•       Bachelor's: secondary school certificate not older than three years; age generally between 17 and 25

•       Master's: a recognized Bachelor's degree, generally graded “Very Good” or higher; most sources list the age limit at 30, though a few list 35

•       PhD: a recognized Master's degree; most sources list the age limit at 35, though a few list 40

•       Good general health and a clean conduct record

•       Female applicants must, under KAU's published residency rule, be accompanied in Saudi Arabia by a close male relative

What documents does a Pakistani applicant need?

•       An updated CV

•       A Statement of Purpose in English (Arabic is only required for Islamic Studies and Arabic Language programs)

•       Degree certificate and academic transcript, both attested by the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad

•       Two academic recommendation letters from former professors

•       A valid passport with at least one year of remaining validity

•       An English test score (IELTS or TOEFL) for English-taught programs — KAU's Engineering, Science, Computing and Business faculties teach mainly in English

How do Pakistani students apply, step by step?

1.    Create an account on the Saudi government's Study in Saudi Arabia portal.

2.    Search for King Abdulaziz University and select Bachelor's, Master's or PhD.

3.    Choose a faculty and program that matches your previous degree.

4.    Upload all required documents listed above.

5.    Submit the form and save your application number for tracking.

6.    Wait for an admission and scholarship decision from KAU by email.

When is the real deadline for the 2026-27 cycle?

Honest answer: ilmiworld could not confirm a single deadline directly from King Abdulaziz University's own admissions page at the time of writing. Different scholarship-tracking sites report different dates, summarized below exactly as found — not as confirmed fact.

If you are reading this close to any of the dates above, do not wait. Go to the official Study in Saudi Arabia portal (studyinsaudi.moe.gov.sa) or King Abdulaziz University's own scholarship office page and check the live status of your intended program before you finalize documents or travel plans.

Local note for Pakistani applicants

This is not an HEC-administered scholarship. Unlike the Chinese Government Scholarship or Türkiye Bursları, Pakistani students apply directly to King Abdulaziz University and the Saudi Ministry of Education's portal, not through HEC's scholarship portal. Document attestation, however, still runs through the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, so applicants outside the capital should plan extra time for that step.

Myth vs Fact

Myth: Every website agrees on one fixed application deadline for King Abdulaziz University's 2026-27 scholarship.

Fact: They do not. Researching this article turned up at least four different deadline claims for the same intake cycle, including one site stating no deadline exists at all. Confirm the real date on KAU's own scholarship page or the Study in Saudi Arabia portal before planning around any date — including the ones listed in this article.

Myth: This scholarship works the same way as the Chinese Government Scholarship or Türkiye Bursları, through HEC.

Fact: It does not. Pakistani applicants apply directly to King Abdulaziz University through the Saudi government's own portal. HEC has no nomination role in this program.

E-E-A-T Reinforcement

ilmiworld.com reviewed more than ten scholarship-tracking pages while researching this article and found real disagreement on the closing date, the Master's age limit (30 in most places, 35 in a few), and the PhD age ceiling (35 in most places, 40 in two). Rather than publishing the version with the cleanest-sounding number, this article flags the disagreement directly so readers do not plan a year of their life around a figure that King Abdulaziz University has not clearly confirmed in public as of June 2026.

Always cross-check date-sensitive scholarship details against KAU's own page or the Study in Saudi Arabia portal before submitting documents, paying for attestation, or booking travel.

FAQ

What is the King Abdulaziz University Scholarship?

It is a fully funded scholarship from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, covering tuition, housing, health insurance and a monthly stipend for international Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students, including Pakistani nationals.

Is the King Abdulaziz University Scholarship fully funded?

Yes. It covers tuition, on-campus accommodation, health insurance, a monthly stipend and an annual return air ticket, based on multiple independent sources.

What is the monthly stipend under the KAU scholarship?

Reported figures are approximately SAR 850 for Bachelor's, SAR 900 for Master's, and SAR 1,900 for PhD students. These are third-party estimates, not numbers confirmed directly by KAU.

What is the application deadline for the 2026-27 cycle?

Unconfirmed. Sources disagree, with claims ranging from May 2026 to October 2026, and one site stating there is no fixed deadline. Check the official Study in Saudi Arabia portal for the current status.

What is the age limit for Master's and PhD applicants?

Most sources list 30 as the Master's age limit and 35 for PhD, though a small number of pages list 35 and 40 instead. Confirm your exact cutoff on the official portal.

Do Pakistani students need IELTS to apply?

Programs taught in English, including Engineering, Science, Computing and Business, generally require an IELTS or TOEFL score. Arabic-taught programs, such as Islamic Studies, do not.

What documents does a Pakistani applicant need?

A CV, an English Statement of Purpose, an Embassy-attested degree certificate and transcript, two recommendation letters, and a passport valid for at least one more year.

Where do Pakistani students apply for this scholarship?

Directly through the Saudi government's Study in Saudi Arabia portal, after selecting King Abdulaziz University and the intended degree level. HEC is not involved in this program.

Conclusion

King Abdulaziz University's scholarship remains one of the more generous fully funded options open to Pakistani students at the Master's and PhD level this year, covering tuition, housing, health insurance and a monthly stipend. The one step that matters most before you invest time in document attestation is confirming the real, current deadline directly on KAU's own scholarship page or the Study in Saudi Arabia portal, since the dates circulating across other sites do not agree with each other.

Next step for readers: start gathering the Embassy-attestation documents now, since that step takes the longest, and check the official portal weekly until the application window for your degree level is confirmed open or closed.