From the College of Sharia to International Universities
(The Journey of Saudi Higher Education 1949–2024)
الكلمات المفتاحية:
Higher education in Saudi Arabia, history of higher education, development of higher education in Saudi Arabia, development of Saudi women's education, teachers' colleges
الملخص
Higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has experienced significant transformations since the establishment of its first academic institution in 1949. This study aims to identify the key historical events and stages that have shaped the development of higher education in the Kingdom from its inception in 1949 until 2024. It employs both historical and descriptive-analytical methodologies to address research questions related to the origins, evolution, and influencing factors of the higher education system over several decades. The study finds that the College of Sharia in Makkah, founded in 1949, was the first institution of higher learning in Saudi Arabia, while King Saud University, established in 1957, is recognized as the first official university in the Kingdom. Additionally, the results indicate that women's higher education has undergone rapid changes, moving from initial social resistance to becoming the predominant demographic in higher education today. This shift reflects an increasing societal awareness of the importance of women's education and empowerment. Furthermore, the study reveals that Saudi Arabia's government-funded international scholarship programs were established before local colleges, highlighting the state's early recognition of the strategic value of higher education in developing national human capital. Since the inception of higher education institutions, the Kingdom has also consistently welcomed international students as part of its broader educational and cultural policy. The findings indicate that the first two decades of the 21st century witnessed an exceptional expansion in the number of public universities and the launch of the largest external scholarship program in Saudi history. Moreover, the study confirms that Saudi Vision 2030 marked a turning point in the higher education sector by introducing comprehensive reforms in governance, financing, and institutional autonomy. These changes have positioned the Kingdom as an emerging hub for global education, attracting renowned international universities to open branch campuses in Saudi Arabia.
المراجع
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2. Al-Bassam, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz (2021). Najdi Merchants in India. Makashfat Journal, Vol. 3, No. 3, 4, pp. 74-77. Retrieved from
3. Albeshir, Al-Ghamdi, L., & Al-Zahrani. (2024). International Students in Saudi Higher Education Institutions (A Comparative Study between 1971 and 2021). International Journal on Humanities & Social Sciences, 54.
4. Albeshir, S. (2022). Challenges of saudi international students in higher education institutions in the United States-a literature review. Journal of Education and Practice, 13(7), 1-9.
5. Albeshir, S. G. (2022). A Comparative study between the new and old university laws in Saudi Arabia. Int. J. Soc. Sci. Humanit. Res, 10(1), 148-157.
6. Albeshir, S. G., Matar, A. A., Waali, A. I. L., Lekaj, D. R., Sulaj, E. A., Ishake, I. L., ... & Ouedraogo, S. (2025). Motivations for Studying in Saudi Arabia. International Journal on Humanities and Social Sciences, (66), 256-270.
7. Al-Dawoud, Basira. (2008). History of Education during the Reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. King Abdulaziz Foundation. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
8. Al-Ghamdi, Hamdan. (2000). The Development of Public Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 36(2), 231-285. Al-Manqash, Sarah bint Abdullah. (2006). An Analytical Study of Education Policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Proposals for its Development. King Saud University Journal - Educational Sciences and Islamic Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2.
9. Al-Harbi, Maha & Al-Mutrafi, Ali. (2022). Educational Policy Trends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia According to the New University System in Light of Global Leadership Indicators: An Analytical Study. Journal of the Faculty of Education (Assiut), 38(3.2), 261-310.
10. Al-Jahni, Faisal. (2022). Diversifying Sources of Education Funding in Light of the Directions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030: An Analytical Study. Education (Al-Azhar): A Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal for Educational, Psychological, and Social Research, 41(193), 567-584.
11. Al-Jazirah Newspaper (2002). Challenge Disability. Dr. Nasser bin Ali bin Abdullah Al-Mousa. Retrieved from https://www.al-jazirah.com/2002/20020505/tb2.htm
12. Al-Jazirah Newspaper (2011). Education during the Reign of King Khalid. Retrieved from https://www.al-jazirah.com/2011/20111021/fe2.htm
13. Al-Madani, Abdullah (2018). Al-Hajjar: The First Saudi Physician from Al-Jahaz. Al-Ayam Bahraini Newspaper. Retrieved from
14. Al-Maliki, Ali. (2021). Challenges Facing Visually Impaired Students at King Saud University: A Qualitative Study. Journal of the Faculty of Education (Assiut), 37(12), 348-381.
15. Al-Maliki, Thamer. (2024). Branches of the University of Arizona and the University of Wollongong coming soon to the Kingdom. Saudi Economic Newspaper. Retrieved from https://alsaudieconomy.com/news/2729
16. Al-Mousa, Nasser (2008). The Journey of Special Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: From Isolation to Integration. Dar Al-Qalam for Publishing and Distribution
17. Al-Murshid, Abdulrahman (2007). Implementation of the Decision to Incorporate Girls' and Teachers' Colleges into Higher Education. Al-Riyadh Newspaper. Retrieved from https://www.alriyadh.com/214749
18. Al-Otaibi, Badr bin Juwaid, and Al-Ahmari, Ilham bint Muhammad. (2019). Developmental Needs for the Autonomy of Saudi Universities in Light of Vision 2030. Fayoum University Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences, Issue 12, Vol. 4, 95-139. Retrieved from http://search.mandumah.com/Record/1065786.
19. Al-Otaibi, Samia Tarahib. (2018). Analysis of the Education System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Reality and Aspirations. Arab Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences, 2(3), 170-218.
20. Al-Rahili, Taghreed & Al-Sarhani, Wafaa. (2012). The development of girls’ education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the era of the founder, King Abdulaziz, may God have mercy on him, to the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and the reality of its role in the developmental renaissance in Saudi society. Arab Studies in Education and Psychology, 21(2), 535-563.
21. Al-Salman, Muhammad. (1999). Education during the reign of King Abdulaziz. King Abdulaziz Foundation, Riyadh.
22. Al-Shahrani, Muhammad. (2022). Analysis of the Higher Education System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities, and Social Sciences, (76), 62-75.
23. Al-Shahwan, Abdulaziz bin Shahwan. (2012). The Education Policy Document in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the Perspective of Educational Supervisors. Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences.
24. Al-Sharif, Maha. (2015). Autonomy as an Approach to Developing University Administration from the Perspective of Academic Leaders in Saudi Universities. [Unpublished PhD Thesis, Umm Al-Qura University].
25. Al-Zahrani, Hessa. (2006). Education during the reign of King Saud. King Abdulaziz Foundation
26. Aoun, Wafaa. (2015). A Proposed Vision for Developing a Compulsory Education Policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Light of the Experiences of Some Developed and Developed Countries: A Comparative Analytical Study
27. Asiri, Fatima Zakari Muhammad. (2016). Autonomy of Saudi Universities: An Analytical Study in Light of Some International Declarations and Charters. Education (Al-Azhar): A Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal for Educational, Psychological, and Social Research, 35(168 Part 3), 687-720.
28. Banjar, Amani & Al-Bakr, Fawzia. (2022). The New University System and Its Contribution to Enhancing the Distinctiveness of Academic Identity in Saudi Universities. Journal of Faculty of Arts Research. Menoufia University, 33(130), 545-575.
29. Board of Experts at the Council of Ministers. (2025). University System. Retrieved from https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/8ee74282-7f0d-49ff-b6ee-aafc00a3d801/1.
30. Education and Training Evaluation Commission (2025). Official website.
31. General Authority for Statistics. (2023). Statistical Yearbook. Retrieved from https://www.stats.gov.sa/ar.
32. General Authority for Statistics. (2025). Total Population. Official Virtual Website
33. Islamic University. (2025). Establishment of the University. Official Virtual Website
34. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. (2025). History and Philosophy. Official Virtual Website
35. King Saud University. (1987). The University in Thirty Years. Deanship of the Center for Community Service and Continuing Education. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
36. King Saud University. (1994). Statistical Book for the Academic Year 1993/1994. Department of University Studies and Development.
37. King Saud University. (1999). King Saud University: A Beacon in a Hundred-Year Journey. King Saud University Press, Riyadh.
38. King Saud University.(2025). Official Virtual Website
39. Ministry of Education (2019). The Journey of Scholarships... From 14 Students to 78,000 Scholarships in 31 Countries. https://www.moe.gov.sa/ar/news
40. Ministry of Education (2025). Education Statistics Center. Official Website
41. Ministry of Education. (1995). Education Policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al-Bayan Printing Press. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
42. Ministry of Education. (2003). Encyclopedia of the History of Education in the Kingdom. Ministry Press.
43. Ministry of Education. (2025). Study in Saudi Arabia. Official Website
44. Ministry of Education. (2025). University Affairs Council. Education Statistics. Official Website..
45. Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. (2025). University History. Official Virtual Website
46. Saudi Press Agency (2005). Teachers' Colleges Celebrate 80 Years of Teacher Education. Retrieved from https://www.spa.gov.sa/266124
47. Saudi Press Agency (2022). Registration begins for the preparatory year for the deaf and hard of hearing at Taibah University.
48. Umm Al-Qura Newspaper. (1950). Issue 1320. Government Foreign Missions. National Center for Documents and Archives
49. UNESCO .(2024).UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Inbound internationally mobile students by continent of origin.
50. University Alumni Directory 1376-1401 AH. (1982). Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Press. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
51. Vision 2030 Document. (2016). Vision Virtual Website. Retrieved from https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/media/5ptbkbxn/saudi_vision2030_ar.p
منشور
2025-08-08
كيفية الاقتباس
Dr. Saud G. Albeshir. (2025). From the College of Sharia to International Universities: (The Journey of Saudi Higher Education 1949–2024). International Journal on Humanities and Social Sciences, (67), 300-323. https://doi.org/10.33193/IJoHSS.67.2025.858
إصدار
القسم
المقالات
الحقوق الفكرية (c) 2025 Dr. Saud G. Albeshir
هذا العمل مرخص حسب الرخصة Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
