Four programs fund most Saudi undergraduates abroad. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship (Ministry of Education) follows an unconditional university offer and carries no job obligation. Aramco CDPNE is an employment pipeline for top science students. The Ministry of Culture funds arts, design and heritage majors. KAUST's KGSP backs gifted STEM students. Each guide below is built from the program's published rules and links to the official source.
| Program | Run by | Hardest requirement | Application window | Apply through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) | Ministry of Education | You cannot apply without an unconditional offer from an institution approved for your path, in a specialization designated for that application year. | Applications opened 10 January and closed 7 May in the 2026 cycle. Results were announced 12 to 14 June. | Qubool, then Safeer 2 |
| Aramco CDPNE | Saudi Aramco | Cumulative GPA 90% or higher, science GPA 90% or higher, and Qudurat 90% or higher. All three, not one of them. | The 2026 window ran 22 April 08:00 to 29 April 15:00, one week exactly. The English and maths test followed on 1 and 2 May. | Aramco careers |
| Ministry of Culture Scholarship | Ministry of Culture | Both your institution and your exact major must be on the Ministry of Culture list. Most of these schools also judge you on a portfolio or audition above everything else. | No fixed annual window is published. | MoC scholarships portal |
| KAUST KGSP | KAUST | For Saudi Grade 12 students. Selection is competitive; an interview is not an admission offer. | 12 January–11 February 2026 (Cohort 18) | KGSP application portal |
The largest Saudi government scholarship, run by the Ministry of Education. You need an unconditional offer from an approved institution first, then you apply for funding against that offer. The scholarship follows the offer, never the other way round.
A highly selective sponsorship for outstanding Saudi high school graduates, in Aramco-approved disciplines only. Unlike the Custodian program it is an employment pipeline: you sign a training agreement and work for Aramco afterwards, roughly as many years as they funded.
Funding for arts, design, heritage and culture majors that the other programs largely do not cover. The Ministry of Culture decides eligibility; once approved, the scholarship itself is administered through Safeer 2 and the Saudi cultural mission, like any other government scholarship.
Undergraduate STEM study abroad, with preparation for graduate study and a research-oriented future at KAUST.
Pick the program that matches your plans after graduating: the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) if you want to choose your own university and major fairly freely; the Aramco CDPNE if you want a guaranteed career and are happy to commit years to Aramco; the Ministry of Culture Scholarship if your field is art, design, music, film, theatre, heritage, literature or culinary arts; the KAUST KGSP if you want a research-oriented STEM education. Each guide lists the hardest requirement first, so you can rule a program out before investing time in it.
No. MIFT is an independent planning tool. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Education, SACM, Aramco, the Ministry of Culture, KAUST or any university. Every guide links to the official source, and you should always confirm eligibility, documents and dates there.