Saudi Ministry of Education and SDAIA announced a scholarship to send Saudi students for AI at top 50 universities, covering bachelor's to doctoral degrees
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The Saudi Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), announced a new scholarship program that will send Saudi students to study artificial intelligence at the top fifty universities worldwide. The program, which is part of the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, covers bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels in precise artificial intelligence disciplines, and requires that the fields be those that serve the needs of the national labor market in the data and AI sector.
The new pathwayThe scholarship is not limited to university admission alone; it is linked to a unified platform that manages applications and follow-up, and ensures that the selected fields align with the needs of the Saudi labor market in the data and AI sector. The partnership between the Ministry of Education and SDAIA means that academic guidance is subject to continuous review by the body that defines the national AI strategy, and that admission is tied to the top fifty universities according to accredited global rankings.
Why nowEmployment figures in the Saudi tech sector point to a growing gap between higher-education outputs and the jobs demanded by major digital-transformation projects, from Neom to the Public Investment Fund and the startups that SDAIA supports directly. The program is designed to close this gap within years, not decades, by injecting trained talent into the world’s leading research and application environments and then bringing them back to lead local technological transformation.
How it worksThe unified platform will open for applications on dates announced soon by SDAIA and the Ministry of Education, and will handle screening of applications, matching of fields with the list of accredited universities, and academic and professional follow-up of scholars until their return. The targeted fields focus on generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, high-performance computing engineering, and AI applications in health, energy and finance.
What this means for youIf you are a Saudi student targeting artificial intelligence, the opportunity is now concrete: admission to a university among the top fifty, full funding, and a pre-defined career path in an organization that needs your skills. Full details are available in the Al-Watan article published on 7 October 2026, and the platform will begin receiving applications according to the schedule officially announced by the two entities.