Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship: how to apply through Qubool and Safeer
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.
Arabic name: برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث. You apply through Qubool, then Safeer 2 (www.uap.sa).
Key facts
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Paths | Four: Al-Ruwad (Pioneers), Imdad (Supply), Waed (Promising), Research and Development. | sites.moe.gov.sa |
| Al-Ruwad | Top 30 institutions globally, all specializations, bachelor and master. | sites.moe.gov.sa |
| Imdad | Top 200 institutions globally, in fields with high labour-market demand. | sites.moe.gov.sa |
| Applications approved | One per candidate, decided competitively. Apply to the path that actually fits. | sites.moe.gov.sa |
| Preparatory year | High school GPA 90% minimum, IELTS 5.5 minimum. | sites.moe.gov.sa |
| Nomination window | Confirm your nomination within 72 hours or it is cancelled. | Official Safeer 2 student portal guide |
When do applications open?
Applications opened 10 January and closed 7 May in the 2026 cycle. Results were announced 12 to 14 June.
Applications go through the Qubool platform (uap.sa), except the Waed track and medical agreements, which go through Safeer. Next cycle should follow a similar January to May window, but confirm on the Ministry site before planning around it.
Dates from the last cycle · Source: sites.moe.gov.sa
What does the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) cover?
- Tuition fees paid.
- A monthly allowance for you, and more if you have registered companions.
- A yearly housing allowance and a one-off setup payment when you arrive.
- Health insurance.
- No job obligation afterwards. You are not required to work for anyone in return.
Is it a good fit for you?
The Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) tends to suit you if:
- You want to choose your own university and major fairly freely.
- You do not want to be tied to an employer after you graduate.
- You can get an unconditional offer from a highly ranked university.
How to apply, step by step
Before you apply
When: Spring, a full year ahead (March to June, the year before you go)
- Make sure your Nafath login works. Safeer 2 signs you in through National Unified Access, not a Safeer-only password.
- Make your Qubool account and sign in. Finish the Qubool profile before you add schools. An incomplete file can block the wishlist.
- Check which universities are on Qubool. Qubool lists the universities the program will fund. Looking now stops you building a list it will not pay for.
- Make your Safeer account and fill it in. Incomplete profile data blocks or delays the application, so do it before the window opens.
- Pick your path: Ruwad, Imdad, or Excellence. The four paths have different school lists, so this decides your whole university list.
- Check your major is on this year’s list. Designated specializations are republished each cycle. Faculty-level eligibility is not enough. Open the Daleel Irshadi
- Check you meet the GPA and age rules. Saudi citizenship, good conduct, medical fitness, and full-time residency in the study country.
- Gather your documents. Passport, national ID, every school transcript you can get, offer letters, and test certificates, all scanned.
Get your offers
When: Autumn and winter (September to December)
- Apply to universities yourself. Apply normally, through Common App, UCAS or the university directly. This is the ordinary application.
- Get an unconditional acceptance letter. Conditional offers do not qualify. If yours is conditional, clear the condition first.
Apply for the scholarship
When: When the window opens, usually short notice (10 January to 7 May in the 2026 cycle)
- Add your 3 universities on Qubool. For Custodian, put your three strongest offers on the Qubool wishlist. Rank them honestly.
- Submit the application. Only one application per candidate is approved, decided competitively, so aim it at the path you genuinely fit.
- Check My Requests once a week. You can add notes visible to reviewers during evaluation. Unanswered document requests close files quietly.
After nomination
When: Spring and summer (June to August, after results land 12 to 14 June)
- Check your Safeer messages every day. Results and requests arrive as messages inside Safeer, not by SMS. The 72-hour clock starts when the message is sent, not when you read it.
- Accept your nomination within 72 hours. This is the single most common way students lose the scholarship after winning it.
- Request your financial guarantee letter. Your university needs this to register you. Request the admission-purpose guarantee on Safeer.
- Request your official letters from Safeer. Embassy letter, criminal record certificate, security fingerprint report, hospital letter.
- Add family members travelling with you. Companions must be on your Safeer profile before their paperwork can be issued.
- Learn how to ask Safeer a question. For allowance, tuition, or nomination problems, file an Inquiry Request on Safeer and track the reply.
Inside MIFT, every step opens into a checklist: what to have in front of you, the exact actions in order, and the mistake students most often make at that step.
Terms you will meet
- Daleel Irshadi (الدليل الاسترشادي)
- The Ministry of Education guidance manual republished every cycle. It lists the designated specializations and approved universities for each path this year. Faculty-level eligibility is not enough: your exact major name has to appear.
- Unconditional offer
- A university letter saying "you are in", with nothing left to prove. A conditional offer says "you are in IF you get X" and does not count for this scholarship. If yours has conditions, you must clear them and get a new letter.
- Path (مسار)
- The program is split into four groups called paths. Each path allows a different set of universities and majors. Which path you belong to decides which universities you are even allowed to apply with.
- Qubool (uap.sa)
- The website where you submit the scholarship application itself. Think of it as the form.
- Safeer 2 (safeer2.moe.gov.sa)
- The Ministry of Education portal that manages your scholarship once you have one: your profile, your official letters, your money, your questions. You will use this for years.
- Nafath
- The Saudi national login used across government websites, the same one you use for Absher. Safeer has no separate password. If Nafath does not work, you cannot log in at all.
- Qiyas / Qudurat
- Saudi national aptitude tests taken through the Qiyas center. Your results go on your Safeer profile.
- Nomination (ترشيح)
- The Ministry saying you have been selected. It is NOT final yet: you must log in and confirm you accept, within 72 hours, or it is cancelled.
- Financial guarantee (ضمان مالي)
- An official letter proving the Saudi government will pay your fees. Universities abroad ask for this before they will register you.
- Companion (مرافق)
- A family member travelling with you on the scholarship. They must be registered on your Safeer profile to get their own paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship?
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.
What is the hardest requirement for the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer)?
You cannot apply without an unconditional offer from an institution approved for your path, in a specialization designated for that application year.
When do Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) applications open?
Applications opened 10 January and closed 7 May in the 2026 cycle. Results were announced 12 to 14 June. Applications go through the Qubool platform (uap.sa), except the Waed track and medical agreements, which go through Safeer. Next cycle should follow a similar January to May window, but confirm on the Ministry site before planning around it.
What does the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) cover?
Tuition fees paid. A monthly allowance for you, and more if you have registered companions. A yearly housing allowance and a one-off setup payment when you arrive. Health insurance. No job obligation afterwards. You are not required to work for anyone in return.
Where do you apply for the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer)?
Through Qubool, then Safeer 2 (www.uap.sa), run by Ministry of Education.
Who is the Custodian Scholarship (Qubool & Safeer) a good fit for?
You want to choose your own university and major fairly freely. You do not want to be tied to an employer after you graduate. You can get an unconditional offer from a highly ranked university.
Official sources
- www.uap.sa
- sites.moe.gov.sa/scholarship-program/submitting
- sites.moe.gov.sa/scholarship-program/paths
- sites.moe.gov.sa/scholarship-program/conditions
MIFT is an independent planning tool and is not affiliated with Ministry of Education, SACM or any university. Always confirm eligibility, documents and dates on the official site.