Fully Funded Scholarships in Saudi Arabia for Pakistani Students (2026–27)

Which fully funded Saudi scholarships can a Pakistani student apply for in 2026–27?

Three distinct routes are open, and they do not share a deadline or an application system. The Ministry of Education's Study in Saudi portal handles scholarships at more than 50 public and private universities. KAUST runs its own admissions separately. Some universities also publish their own intake windows. Applying to one does not register you for the others.

Note: KAUST indicates its dates are tentative and may change based on application volume, so treat those two dates as firm-but-verify rather than fixed.

The Study in Saudi window is the one most Pakistani applicants need. The portal lists 16 September as the start of the application period for international and resident students, and 6 October as the end, under a heading it labels the second semester academic calendar for 2026. The portal does not state which teaching term that intake feeds. Confirm the start date with your chosen university before you resign a job or defer a local admission.

Where is the Study in Saudi portal now, and is the old link safe?

The official portal is studyinsaudi.sa. The address that most scholarship blogs still publish, studyinsaudi.moe.gov.sa, returned a blank page when checked in September 2026. It does not redirect. A student following the widely-copied older instructions lands on nothing.

That gap matters because search results for the old string now include at least one lookalike domain built to imitate the government address, using a .online suffix. It is not a government site. The genuine portal carries a Saudi Digital Government Authority registration number, 20260418673, in its site header.

How does a Pakistani student apply through the Study in Saudi portal?

The portal runs on a single account tied to your passport, and the sequence matters more than the paperwork. For a detailed Study in Saudi portal step-by-step walkthrough, follow this exact order:

1. Renew your passport first if it expires within a year: The portal allows a passport number to be changed only while the account is new and no application has been submitted. Once an application goes in under that number, it cannot be modified.
2. Register a new user account at studyinsaudi.sa: Choose your ID type and enter your details. The system sends a one-time verification code to your contact method.
3. Complete your profile before browsing programmes: The portal blocks applications to academic programmes while a profile is incomplete.
4. Enter your name exactly as printed on your passport: Include middle names and any spelling the passport office used. This single field causes more downstream visa trouble than any other.
5. Choose external track, not internal: The internal track is for non-Saudis already holding Saudi residency. Applicants living in Pakistan use the external track.
6. Upload your documents in Arabic or English: Anything in Urdu needs a certified translation before it is uploaded. See our document attestation checklist for Pakistani applicants.
7. Submit, then monitor the dashboard: Only contact information can be edited after submission; other application data cannot be changed. Applications move to the institution for review, then to the Ministry for final admission procedures.

What are the KAUST deadlines for 2027 entry?

Spring 2027 admission at KAUST is open to PhD applicants only, with a Round 1 deadline of 27 September 2026, decisions released 8 November 2026, and the semester starting 17 January 2027. Fall 2027 admission opens to MS, MS/PhD and PhD applicants, with Round 2 opening 28 September 2026, closing 3 January 2027, and decisions released 14 February 2027.

KAUST is the most generous single award in the Kingdom. Its fellowship covers tuition and bench fees worth up to USD 35,000 a year, a stipend worth USD 20,000 a year for MS students and USD 25,000 to 30,000 for PhD students, base accommodation, health insurance and relocation support, with a total value between USD 70,000 and 80,000 a year. There is no separate fellowship application; admitted students are considered automatically. Read our KAUST application guide for details.

⚠️ Caution on External Funding: KAUST states that students with external sponsorship or funding may not be eligible for the fellowship. If you hold a Pakistani government or employer scholarship, ask KAUST how the two interact before accepting either.

Why do Pakistani applicants get rejected by KAUST?

Most rejections trace to four requirements that Pakistani applicants reasonably assume work differently. None of these is a judgement on academic quality; each is a documentary rule applied without exception:

• Medium of Instruction letters are not accepted: KAUST does not accept Medium of Instruction certificates, Duolingo, TOEFL MyBest, or IELTS One Skill Retake. Pakistani university MOI letters are not accepted as an IELTS substitute here.
• The English exemption does not cover Pakistan: KAUST waives the English test only for degrees physically completed in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand. An English-medium BS from a Pakistani university does not exempt you.
• The IELTS bar is 7.0 overall (6.5 per band): KAUST requires IELTS 7.0 overall with at least 6.5 in every section. A 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each section may only lead to conditional admission for PhDs.
• Referee emails from Gmail/Yahoo are rejected: KAUST requires official academic or institutional email addresses for all three referees. Reference requests are sent the moment you enter referee details, so enter valid institutional emails.

On grades: the minimum permitted GPA is 3.0/4.0, but 90% of admitted applicants are above 3.3 and 75% are above 3.5.

Do Pakistani students need IELTS for a Saudi scholarship?

Not for Arabic-medium study. The long-term study visa requires proof of proficiency in the language of study, except for applicants who intend to study Arabic. That exemption matters because a large share of Pakistani applicants target Islamic studies, Arabic and Sharia programmes taught entirely in Arabic.

Where you do need to evidence Arabic, there is now a standardised route: the Hamza test run by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, linked directly from the Study in Saudi portal navigation. It measures listening, reading, writing and speaking over 155 minutes across CEFR levels A2 to C1, and can be administered remotely with AI-powered monitoring.

How do I attest my documents in Pakistan, and what should it cost?

Far less than most applicants pay. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) states that no fee is charged for any type of attestation by the Ministry or its camp offices, and that only prescribed-value revenue stamps are required (Rs 10 for IBCC / Rs 25 for HEC).

Follow our document attestation checklist for Pakistani applicants:

• BISE Board Certificates (Matric / Inter): Must be countersigned by IBCC (Rs 10 stamp fee).
• University Degrees (BS / MS / PhD): Must be attested by HEC (Rs 25 stamp fee).
• MOFA Attestation: Camp offices in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta are treated at par with Islamabad. No need to travel to Islamabad!
• Couriers: MOFA accepts documents via 5 authorised couriers (TCS, Gerry's, Leopards, M&P).

Timing advice: Do not pay for the full attestation chain before receiving an offer. The portal accepts high-resolution scans for initial submission; official attested originals are required upon admission for the Saudi student visa process after acceptance.

Do I need Saudi Embassy attestation, or is an apostille enough?

Pakistan acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 9 March 2023, and it entered into force for Saudi Arabia on 7 December 2022. Saudi Arabia filed no objection against Pakistan's accession. On paper, a MOFA apostille (Rs 3,000 per document) suffices.

However, because some university guidance lags treaties, email your university deanship to confirm whether they accept a MOFA apostille before paying for embassy legalisation.

How do I spot an unauthorised scholarship agent?

Applying on the Ministry portal is free. Islamic University of Madinah charges no application fee either. Watch out for these 4 red flags:

• A guaranteed scholarship or guaranteed seat.
• A "reserved quota" for their clients or city.
• Requesting your passport plus the one-time OTP code sent to your phone.
• Payment requests to personal bank accounts, Easypaisa, or JazzCash numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions