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King Abdulaziz University (KAU) ( ar, جامعة الملك عبد العزيز) is a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universi ...
in
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
. With over 117,096 students in 2022, it is the largest university in the country. Located in south Jeddah, the university is the center of teaching and research of the city, comprising 24 faculties, 15 of these are located on the campus and 9 are off-campus. The university also offers some courses that are unavailable at any other universities in Saudi Arabia, such as
marine science Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dyna ...
,
meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...
, and
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
. It was established in 1967 as a
private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...
by a group of businessmen led by Muhammad Bakhashab and including author Hamza Bogary. In 1974, King Abdulaziz University was converted to a public university by a decision of the Saudi Cabinet under King Faisal's orders. It is ranked as the #1 university in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
by U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking and the #1 university in the
Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
by
Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
. King Abdulaziz University has been placed in the top 200 universities in the world by four major ranking indices.


History


Private university

In the year 1964, the idea of establishing a private university in the city of
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
was originally put forward by Mohammed Ali Hafiz. In the same year, a preparatory committee of 6 members was formed, including Mohamed Ali Hafiz and Muhammad Abu Bakr Bakhashab. Shortly after, then-Crown Prince Faisal officially approved the idea. In 1965, the university's executive committee was formed. In 1966, the KAU held a competition to design their logo. The winning design was submitted by Abdul-Halim Radwi, a local artist from Jeddah. In the year 1967, King Abdulaziz University was officially established as a private university, with goals to spread higher education in the western region of
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
. Prior to this date, there were no higher-education institutions in Jeddah. These goals were met through efforts of high-ranking businessmen and notable Saudi figures; and additionally with the help of King Faisal's encouragement and financial support. The university started its first academic year in 1968, with a relatively small number of students (68 male - 30 female). In 1969, the first faculty was established (Faculty of Economics and Administration). In 1970, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities was established. The university was named after
King Abdulaziz Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
, founder of Saudi Arabia.


Public university (1974-present)

In 1974, the
Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Council of Ministers ( ar, مجلس الوزراء السعودي ''Majlis al-Wuzarā' as-Su‘ūdī'') is the cabinet of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is led by the King. The council consists of the king, the Crown Prince, and cabi ...
decided to merge the university with the government; converting it to a public university. , it had almost 31,000 students, of which 28% are international. The building's construction was designed by
Bangladeshi-American Bangladeshi Americans ( bn, বাংলাদেশী মার্কিনী, Bangladeshī Markinī) are Americans of Bangladeshi descent. The majority of Bangladeshi Americans are Bengalis and form the largest group of Bengali Americans. Ban ...
architect Fazlur Rahman Khan. In 2018, it was ranked the 1st Arab university by ''
Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
'' due to very strong citation impact and highly international outlook. It also ranked no. 1 in percentage of total publications with international collaboration, according to ''
US News ''U.S. News & World Report'' (USNWR) is an American media company that publishes news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. It was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and international-focused ...
'' rankings.


Research programs

Between 2004 and 2014, King Abdulaziz University enacted a program to attract the international community and has welcomed nearly 150 researches or various disciplines. The university has developed international research partners, including in
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
where it has developed a joint lunar research program with the Astronomic Observatory of
Oukaïmeden Oukaïmeden (Berber language: Ukayemdan) is a ski resort in the Atlas mountains near the Toubkal mountain, about from Marrakesh, Morocco. The skiing area is at an altitude of between and and has six ski lifts. There are some hotels and ski ren ...
. The university has 13 different research centers, predominantly in the fields of medicine (medical genomes and osteoperosis), environment and energy, climate change, and desalination. Founded in the 1970s by
Sami Angawi Sami Angawi is a Saudi architect. He studied architecture in the United Kingdom and the United States. Bradley, John R. ''Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis''. ''Palgrave Macmillan''. 19 May 2005. 4. Early life Dr. Sami Angawi has ...
, the research center on pilgrimage to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
(Hajj Research Center) conducts a series of works around the religious event, notably on the aspects of logistics surrounding the pilgrimage.


Faculties


Faculty of Engineering

* Electrical Engineering * Computer Engineering * Biomedical & Electrical Engineering * Nuclear Engineering * Aeronautical Engineering * Chemical & Materials Engineering * Civil Engineering * Electrical & Computer Engineering * Industrial Engineering * Mining Engineering * Production Engineering and Mechanical Systems Design * Thermal Engineering and Desalination Technology These programs are accredited by
ABET The ABET (incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering ...
as Substantially Equivalent Programs since 2003.


Faculty of Economics and Administration

The Faculty of Economics and Administration was the first college to be established in King Abdulaziz University, and until this day it is called "The Base of Founder's University," referring to the founder of the country. * Department of Business Administration * Department of Finance * Department of Marketing * Department of Human Resource Management * Department of Accounting * Department of Management Information Systems * Department of Political Science * Department of Health Administration * Department of Public Administration * Department of Economics * Department of Law (defunct in 2012; separated into a new faculty) In 2015, FEA received its fourth international accreditation, the AACSB making it one of the top business colleges in the middle east and across the world.


Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law was established in 2012 as it segregated from Faculty of Economics and Administration. * Public Law * Private Law


Other faculties

* Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences * Faculty of Medicine * Faculty of Medicine at
Rabigh Rabigh ( ar, رَابِغ, translit=Rābigh) is a city and governorate in the Province of Makkah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Red Sea, around northwest of Mecca in the historic Hejazi region. The city had an esti ...
* Faculty of Arts and Humanities * Faculty of Business * Faculty of Education * Faculty of Communication and Media * Faculty of Computing and Information Technology * Faculty of Design * Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture * Faculty of Nursing * Faculty of Sciences * Faculty of Pharmacy * Faculty of Dentistry * Faculty of Earth Sciences * Faculty of Health Sciences * Faculty of Environmental Designs * Faculty of Home Economics * Faculty of Marine Sciences * Faculty of Tourism * Faculty of Maritime Studies


Ranking

King Abdulaziz University is ranked between 101 and 150 since 2020 by
Academic Ranking of World Universities The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi ...
Furthermore, according to U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking, King Abdulaziz University is ranked 44 in 2022.U.S. News Education: Best Global Universities 2020
/ref> And according to QS World University Rankings, King Abdulaziz University is ranked at number 143 in 2021 in the world's top universities ranking by the London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). KAU has faced criticism for allegedly paying highly cited researchers from around the world to cite KAU as a "secondary academic affiliation" in order to boost their rankings. It also faced criticism for its high ranking by Times of Higher Education https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/university-rankings-are-mostly-meaningless/.


Notable alumni

*
Magda Abu Ras Magda Abu Ras, in Arabic: ماجدة أبو راس, is a Saudi Arabian microbiologist, who is specialises in the treatment of oil-contaminated soils. She is Deputy Director of the Saudi Environmental Society (SENS) and founder of the National Pro ...
, microbiologist and Deputy Director of the
Saudi Environmental Society The Saudi Environmental Society (SENS) is a Saudi society was founded as a national non-profit society in 2006 according to a decision of the Ministry of Social Affairs No. (34770), and is registered in the charities records under the number (335 ...
* Nahed Taher, Saudi founder and chief executive officer of Gulf One Investment Bank, which has its headquarters in Bahrain. In 2006, Forbes magazine ranked Taher 72nd in the list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World. *
Osama bin Laden Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, his group is designated ...
, founder and former leader of al Qaeda. *
Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al Rajhi (Arabic :الشيخ سليمان بن عبدالعزيز الراجحي born 1929) is a Saudi Arabian corporate figure and billionaire. As of 2011, his wealth was estimated by Forbes to be $5.9 billion, makin ...
, Saudi billionaire economist, owner of
Al Rajhi Bank AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...
, the 38th richest person in the world. * Adel Fakeih, Saudi billionaire engineer and former mayor of Jeddah. *
Muna AbuSulayman Muna AbuSulayman, ( ar, منى أبو سليمان}; born 16 May 1973) is an American-born Saudi businesswoman and activist. She is also the former founding Secretary General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of HRH P ...
, Saudi businesswoman. *
Waleed Abulkhair Waleed Sami Abulkhair ( ar, وليد أبوالخير) is a Saudi Arabian lawyer and human rights activist, and the head of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA) organization. He is the first activist to be prosecuted by the Terro ...
, Saudi Arabian lawyer and human rights activist. * Tariq Alhomayed, journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of the Arabic-language newspaper ''
Asharq Alawsat ''Asharq Al-Awsat'' ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, Aš-Šarq al-ʾAwsaṭ, meaning "The Middle East") is an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. A pioneer of the "off-shore" model in the Arabic press, the paper is often noted f ...
'', the youngest person to be appointed that position. * Samar Alsaggaf, first female Saudi anatomist * Tasneem Alsultan, Saudi-American photographer and artist, covering stories primarily for
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
and
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widel ...
* Yahya Al-Hamud, Saudi politician and Governor of Bareq * Saida Hagi-Dirie Herzi,
Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...
feminist writer *
Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, Lord of Abernethy ( ar, محفوظ مرعي مبارك بن محفوظ) (born 14 December 1969) is a Saudi Arabian businessman living in the United Kingdom. Mahfouz is the executive officer of Saudi-based Marei ...
, Saudi businessman and philanthropist * Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of transport * Manal al-Sharif, Saudi women's rights activist. * Abdallah Bin Bayyah, Muslim scholar, teaches in the university; Bin Bayyah holds a
Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...
n citizenship * Amr Dabbagh, Saudi economist and businessman. Member of
World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
and founder of Jeddah Economic Forum * Shalimar Sharbatly, Saudi abstract artist * Said Aqil Siradj, leader of
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitable body funding sch ...
, world's largest Islamic organization in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...


See also

*
List of universities in Saudi Arabia This is the list of universities, colleges and institutes in Saudi Arabia. By province See also * List of technical colleges in Saudi Arabia References Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia https://www.moe.gov.sa/en/HigherEducation/governmenth ...
*
Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (), commonly known as Al-Imam University, is a public university in Baladiyah al-Shemal in northern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1953. represented by the College of Sharia Sciences (no ...
*
Islamic University of Madinah The Islamic University of Madinah ( ar, الجامعة الإسلامية بالمدينة المنورة) was founded by the government of Saudi Arabia by a royal decree in 1961 in the Islamic holy city of Medina. Many have associated the uni ...
* King Saud University *
Umm al-Qura University Umm Al-Qura University (UQU; ar, جامعة أم القرى ) is a public university in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The university was established as the College of Sharia (Islamic Law) in 1949 before being joined by new colleges and renamed as Umm Al- ...


References


External links

* *
KAU ranking
from
Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' (often referred to as the THE Rankings) is an annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' (THE) magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarel ...
.
Faculty of Design and Arts
{{DEFAULTSORT:King Abdulaziz University 1967 establishments in Saudi Arabia Educational institutions established in 1967 Education in Jeddah Universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia Fazlur Khan buildings