King Abdulaziz University (KAU) () is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. Established in 1967 as a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

by a group of businessmen led by Muhammad Bakhashab and including author

Hamza Bogary Hamza Mohammad Bogary or Boqari () (1932–1984) was an Arabic author from Mecca who also worked in broadcasting, becoming Director General of Broadcasting; from 1965 to 1967, he served as Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Information. In 1967, he b ...

, it was named after the country's first monarch, King Abdulalziz ibn Saud. It was converted into a public university by King Faisal in 1974. 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, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...

meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...

, and

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

History

Private university

In the year 1964, the idea of establishing a private university in the city of

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

. 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, founder of Saudi Arabia.

Public university (1974-present)

In 1974, the

Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Council of Ministers ( ''Majlis al-Wuzarā' as-Su'ūdī'') is the Cabinet (government), cabinet of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is led by the King of Saudi Arabia, King. The council consists of the king, the Crown Prince of Saudi Ar ...

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 architect

Fazlur Rahman Khan Fazlur Rahman Khan (, ''Fazlur Rôhman Khan''; 3 April 1929 – 27 March 1982) was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect, who initiated important structural systems for skyscrapers. Considered the "father of Tube (structure) ...

. 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'', ''US NEWS'') is an American media company publishing news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. The company was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and ...

'' 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 a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

where it has developed a joint lunar research program with the Astronomic Observatory of Oukaïmeden. 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, the research center on pilgrimage to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

(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 ABET (pronounced A-bet), formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied ...

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 () 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 estimated population of 180,352 in 2014 ...

* 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 Science * 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 * Faculty of Architecture and Planning

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.

Notable alumni

* Magda Abu Ras, microbiologist and Deputy Director of the Saudi Environmental Society * Nahed Taher, founder and chief executive officer of Gulf One Investment Bank * Adel Fakeih, engineer and former mayor of Jeddah * Muna AbuSulayman, Saudi businesswoman * Tariq Alhomayed, journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of the Arabic-language newspaper '' Asharq Alawsat'', 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

and

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

* Yahya Al-Hamud, Saudi politician and Governor of

Bareq Bareq (; also transliterated as '), is a governorate located in the Asir Province of Saudi Arabia in the north-west of the province, north of Abha. It occupies a distinct location midway between Tihamah and Asir, above sea level. With an e ...

Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz () (born 14 December 1969) is a Saudi Arabian businessman living in the United Kingdom. Mahfouz is the executive officer of Saudi-based Marei bin Mahfouz Group, founded by his father Sheikh Marei Mubarak Mahfouz b ...

, Saudi businessman and philanthropist * Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport * Abdallah Bin Bayyah, Muslim scholar, teaches in the university; Bin Bayyah holds a

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

n citizenship * Amr Dabbagh, Saudi economist and businessman. Member of

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

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 numbered over 40 million in 2023, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU is also a charitable body funding schools and hospitals as well as or ...

, world's largest Islamic organization in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

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 the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...

.
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