Direct Answer
There is no currently published Ministry of Education Saudi Arabia scholarship quota for Pakistan. The most recent announced figure is 700 fully funded scholarships across 25 universities, stated by the Saudi embassy in Islamabad in November 2023 and raised from 600. Pakistan's own embassy in Riyadh still advertises the 600 figure from 2021–22. The live portal publishes no country allocation.
| Figure | Who announced it | When | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 scholarships, 25 universities | Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh | 2021–22 cycle | Still displayed on embassy's education page |
| 700 scholarships, 25 universities | Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Islamabad | November 2023 | Most recent announced figure, not since renewed |
| No country allocation published | Study in Saudi portal | September 2026 | Current position; portal lists 50+ institutions |
Is there an official Ministry of Education Saudi Arabia scholarship quota for Pakistan?
Not one that is published and current. Saudi Arabia has announced Pakistan-specific scholarship numbers twice in recent years, both through diplomatic channels rather than the Ministry's own portal. Neither figure appears anywhere on studyinsaudi.sa today, and the portal does not show applicants a national allocation or a remaining-seats count.
This matters because the question "how many does Pakistan get" has an answer people repeat with confidence that no live source supports. The number exists. It is simply older than almost everyone quoting it realises.
Where does the 700 scholarships figure come from?
From a single announcement in November 2023. Saudi Arabia announced 700 fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students to study for diploma, bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes at 25 universities across the Kingdom, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. The embassy statement said the number had previously been 600 and was now increased to 700.
That is the entire provenance. Every "700 Saudi scholarships" page traces back to it.
Around the same time, Saudi officials told Pakistan's education ministry that the Kingdom offered 700 scholarships and planned to increase the number in line with what Pakistan wanted. An intention to increase is not an increase. We found no announcement of a higher figure in the years since.
What did the announcement actually say?
The terms circulated to Pakistani institutions were more specific than the headline number, and several conditions rarely get repeated. The notice stated that applicants must be Pakistani or Azad Jammu and Kashmir nationals, that 75 percent of scholarships would go to students from Pakistan and 25 percent to Pakistani students residing in the Kingdom, and that both men and women could apply.
Two structural details are worth knowing:
- A cap on international enrolment: Each of the 25 universities was authorised to enrol only 5 percent international students, with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and the Islamic University of Madinah exempted from that cap. That exemption is a large part of why those two institutions take so many Pakistani students.
- Age limits by level: The notice set 17 to 25 years for bachelor's applicants and under 35 for PhD applicants, measured at the application closing date. The master's limit is given as 30, though the notice's wording does not make clear whether that is a maximum.
⚠️ Treat all of this as the terms of an earlier announcement rather than confirmed current rules. The same notice described applying directly to individual universities and copying the Pakistan embassy in Riyadh, a process the centralised portal has since replaced.
Why do the numbers you see online disagree?
Because most sites are republishing a three-year-old press release with the year changed. Search "Saudi scholarships Pakistan" today and you will find pages headlined for 2026 or 2027 that reproduce the November 2023 wording, including the 25-university count that the portal itself no longer matches.
The clearest test of whether a scholarship page is current:
| What the page says | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| "25 universities" or "27 universities" | Not updated since the portal migration |
| Links to studyinsaudi.moe.gov.sa | That address no longer loads |
| "700 scholarships for 2027" with no source date | Recycled November 2023 announcement |
| "Thousands of scholarships" | No announcement has ever supported that figure |
The current portal states that Saudi Arabia has more than 50 public and private universities and that applications route through the institution and then the Ministry.
Pakistan's own diplomatic sources are no more current. The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh's education page still advertises 600 fully funded scholarships in 25 universities for Pakistani students for 2021–22, linked to a notice document, alongside a Study in Saudi link pointing at the old portal address. If the mission's own page has not been refreshed in five cycles, a scholarship blog quoting it is not a live source either.
Does the quota affect how you apply?
No, and this is the part that matters most. Whatever the current allocation is, you apply the same way: through the Study in Saudi portal, on merit, in the published window. There is no quota queue to join, no seat to reserve, and no form on which you claim a national allocation.
For step-by-step guidance on submitting your profile correctly, see our Study in Saudi portal guide and our pillar article on fully funded scholarships in Saudi Arabia for Pakistani students.
A quota is a ceiling on how many Pakistani students can be funded. It is not a promise that places will remain unfilled, and it does not entitle any applicant to one. Universities assess your file against their own criteria.
Practically, the number should change nothing about your application. It should change how you read the internet. If a page cites 700 as a live 2027 figure without naming November 2023, it is not checking its facts, and its dates and requirements deserve the same suspicion.
How quota talk is used to sell you something
This is where an old number becomes a live risk. "Quota" language is the most common framing in Saudi scholarship scams aimed at Pakistani families, because it implies a fixed pool of seats that somebody could reserve for you.
Claims that should end the conversation:
- Anyone offering a "quota seat", a "reserved place", or "embassy quota" access.
- Anyone charging a fee to be counted within Pakistan's allocation.
- Anyone claiming to know how many places remain. That number is not published.
- Advice to hire a consultant "to confirm your country's quota allocation" with the Ministry. Some sites push this. The Ministry does not publish per-country allocations to applicants.
✅ Remember: Applying on the Ministry portal is free. No intermediary can place you inside a national allocation, because applicants are not processed that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Saudi scholarships does Pakistan get each year?
No current annual figure is published. The last announced number was 700, in November 2023, up from 600. We found no update since, and the portal publishes no country allocation. Apply on merit in the open window rather than planning around a seat count.
Is 700 still the number for 2027?
Unconfirmed, and we would not state it as fact. Pages presenting 700 as a 2026 or 2027 programme are reproducing the 2023 announcement. If the Kingdom publishes a new figure we will update this page and date the change.
Do the 25 percent reserved for Kingdom residents affect me if I live in Pakistan?
Only in that three quarters of the announced allocation was for applicants from Pakistan. You apply on the external track from Pakistan; Pakistani nationals holding Saudi residency use the internal track. The split described applicants, not two separate application routes.
Why does the Islamic University of Madinah take so many Pakistanis?
The announcement exempted it, along with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, from the 5 percent international enrolment cap applied to other universities in the list. That exemption dates from the earlier notice, so confirm current conditions with the institution.
Where can I see the real number for this cycle?
Nowhere, at present. Neither the Saudi Ministry portal nor the Pakistani missions publish a live count. Announcements have historically come through the Saudi embassy in Islamabad and Pakistani state media, so those are the channels to watch.
We will tell you when the number actually changes
We check the portal and both embassies for this page. If a new Pakistan allocation is announced, we will update the figures above with the date and the source. If you want to be told when that happens, or when the next application window opens, message us.
Or save the number: 0304 4296295 (+92 304 4296295). We have no access to any quota, no contact who can reserve a place, and no ability to influence a decision. Applying on the Study in Saudi portal is free.
Sources & Reference Documents
- Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh — Education — 600 scholarships, 25 universities, 2021–22, still displayed September 2026
- Arab News — Saudi Arabia announces 700 fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students — November 2023 announcement and the increase from 600
- Dawn — Saudi Arabia promises more scholarships for Pakistani students — stated intention to increase
- Study in Saudi portal — current institution count and application routing
- Scholarship notice circulated to Pakistani universities — 75/25 split, nationality, age limits, 5% enrolment cap
Written by Hamza Tahire, Saudi Arabia Higher Education & Admissions Specialist. Every figure on this page is tied to the body and date that announced it. Where no current number exists, we say so rather than estimating. Checked September 2026. Questions about your application? WhatsApp 0304 4296295.