NEOM International Scholarship Program: Empowering Future Innovators

NEOM, an ambitious project envisioning a city of innovators and dreamers, recognizes the importance of developing its local community. To achieve this, NEOM has launched the International Scholarship Program, an initiative designed to cultivate local talent and secure their employment within NEOM's various sectors and with its contractors. This program offers a unique opportunity for students to pursue degrees at the world's top 100 universities.

NEOM's Commitment to Local Development

NEOM views the local community as a key partner in building a land of innovation and dreams. The International Scholarship Program exemplifies this commitment, aiming to unlock the potential of local talent and empower them to become global leaders of the future.

Program Overview: A Path to Global Education and Employment

NEOM’s International Scholarship Program is designed with the specific goal of providing students with a path to both higher education at prestigious international institutions and future employment within NEOM. The program is aimed at students and provides a unique opportunity for them to get a degree from the world’s top 100 universities.

Foundation Year Program: Preparing for Success

The one-year Foundation Year Program plays a crucial role in preparing selected students for admission to both local and international universities. It ensures they possess the academic and broader skills necessary for success in their undergraduate studies and future careers. The Foundation Year Program objectives include:

Supporting students in achieving the required academic level at the end of the program.
Helping students meet the admission standards needed for international and national undergraduate studies.
Providing students with the ability to understand, study, and work within relevant scientific and disciplinary principles.
Equipping students with the necessary skills to thrive academically and in their future careers through teaching, learning, and training opportunities.

The scope of this procedure includes the following elements of the Foundation Year Program: a. Roles and Responsibilities of the Governing Entities. b. Program Eligibility and Selection Criteria and Processes.

Program Structure and Orientation

Scholars participating in the NEOM International Scholarship Program begin their journey with a year-long orientation program in Tabuk City. This initial year is conducted in partnership with the King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness & Creativity (Mawhiba) and Fahad bin Sultan University.

Application Process

There is one application round per year to award scholarships, starting in April.

Historical Context: Scholarship Programs in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a long history of supporting its citizens' education through scholarship programs. These initiatives have evolved significantly over time, reflecting the nation's changing needs and priorities.

Early Initiatives Under King Abdulaziz

Scholarships outside Saudi Arabia were initiated during the reign of King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. The idea was proposed by a group of education and development enthusiasts, leading to the dispatch of the first Saudi scholarship delegation to Egypt in 1927. This delegation included proponents of the idea and six students, with the program covering their expenses and providing a supervisor.

In 1929, King Abdulaziz ordered the dispatch of employees to London for training in wireless communication networks. Further, in 1935, students were sent to Italy to study aviation, and in 1936, delegations were sent to Switzerland and Istanbul to study law, political science, and engineering, respectively.

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The Scholarship Preparation School

To further enhance qualification efforts, King Abdulaziz ordered the establishment of the Scholarship Preparation School in 1936, the first high school in Saudi Arabia, aimed at preparing students for university enrollment. The school, founded in 1936 and commencing classes in 1937, marked the beginning of secondary education in Saudi Arabia. Its curriculum included various sciences to prepare students for studying abroad. The school played a role in the development and enhancement of the educational and pedagogical fields in Saudi Arabia. It brought about significant and effective changes in Saudi educational institutions by contributing to the restructuring of educational stages following primary education. The school introduced the intermediate stage and the secondary stage, which was divided into scientific and literary sections.

Expansion and Evolution of Scholarship Programs

Following the influx of oil, external scholarships expanded to Europe and the United States. Ministries also began sending their scholarship recipients abroad to further their knowledge. The Directorate of General Knowledge (now the Ministry of Education) sought students with secondary or cultural certificates to pursue scholarships in the United States for specialized training in wireless and automatic telephone technology. The school's curriculum was closely aligned with that of Egypt, due to the fact that most scholarship students were sent to Egypt. The curriculum included subjects such as Arabic language and its branches, religious education, history, arithmetic, English language, natural sciences, algebra, and mathematics.

Scholarships in Saudi Arabia during the 1970s marked the beginning of Saudi Arabia’s economic planning, particularly following the launch of its second five-year plan in 1975. During this period, the scope of scholarship destinations expanded to include the United States and Europe. The scholarship system was also updated to include graduate students and government employees pursuing master's degrees.

The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program

Launched on May 26, 2005, the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program is a significant initiative dedicated to sending Saudi students to accredited global universities in various fields. This program aims to achieve economic growth, enhance research and development, and solidify Saudi Arabia's position on the international stage. The program is composed of five phases, with one of its goals being to send approximately fifty thousand male and female students abroad within five years of the issuance of the decision. The program directs students to various countries and continents, including the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asian countries.

Throughout its implementation, several initiatives and projects have been launched to help achieve the program’s objectives. In 2010, the "Safeer" platform was launched, linking scholarship students with the Ministry of Education. The second phase of the scholarship program began in 2011, and in 2015, the third phase introduced "Your Job, Your Scholarship" project, which aligned scholarships with the specializations required in the job market.

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The tools and mechanisms of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program have evolved to include several tracks that align with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to cultivate national talents across various fields.

Scholarship Program Tracks Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030

The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program includes several tracks designed to align with Saudi Vision 2030. These tracks focus on cultivating national talents across various fields and contributing to the Kingdom's comprehensive development.

Path of Excellence: This track enhances the academic qualifications of students by enrolling them in leading international institutions. It contributes to expanding their knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines and fields. This track has also established partnerships with several government sectors, all contributing to the achievement of comprehensive development by introducing new disciplines that build a thriving and diversified economy to support promising sectors, as it included thirty-two specializations in seventy universities around the world. These promising and new disciplines meet the needs of sustainable development and the national labor market. The program targets high school graduates, university graduates, and individuals who have received acceptance into global universities. The program aims to achieve sustainable development, enhance the efficiency of human capital, and contribute to empowering and strengthening Saudi Arabia's capabilities in research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, particularly in priority areas.
Research and Development Track: Designed for those pursuing a Ph.D., this path requires applicants to choose from a list of accredited educational institutions and obtain a final, unconditional acceptance. This path is designed for those pursuing a Ph.D. To be accepted into this path, applicants must choose one of the educational institutions listed in the path and obtain a final, unconditional acceptance from the university’s Office of Admissions and Registration, which must be accredited and included in the program’s list.
Supply Track: This path addresses the needs of the labor market by sending students to various universities and institutes to pursue bachelor's and master's degrees in specific specializations. To gain acceptance into this path, applicants must secure a final, unconditional acceptance from one of the educational institutions listed. The acceptance must be issued by the university’s Office of Admissions and Registration, which must be accredited and part of the program’s list.
Promising Sectors Track: It contributes to sending students abroad to various promising sectors and fields, as dictated by major national projects and sectors. It is dedicated to fulfilling the comprehensive development requirements in line with Saudi Vision 2030. It aims to enhance the academic qualifications of male and female students by sending them to leading global educational institutions, which contribute to the development and refinement of their knowledge and skills across various fields and specializations.

General Admission Conditions

The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program sets forth general conditions for admission, including:

The applicant must be a Saudi national.
The applicant must possess good conduct.
The applicant must have received acceptance from one of the specified educational institutions according to the requirements of each track.
The field of study must fall within the designated specializations for the year of application.
The mode of study is determined by the program track.
The accepted program must comply with the track’s regulations.
The applicant must study full-time and reside in the country of the scholarship.
The applicant must meet the selection criteria and policies.
It is not permitted for a currently active scholarship student to apply for another scholarship while their existing one is ongoing, although they may apply for future opportunities.

Scholarship Strategy and Objectives

The strategy of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program was launched on March 6, 2022. This strategy marks a new phase in the field of scholarships, aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of citizens by boosting human capital in various promising modern sectors.

The strategy is built on three pillars:

Focusing on raising awareness among scholarship recipients, preparing and qualifying them.
Contributing to the development of scholarship tracks and programs.
Ensuring continuous monitoring, support, and guidance for the students by enhancing the services provided to them.

The Role of the Deputy Ministry for Scholarships

The Deputy Ministry for Scholarships at the Ministry of Education plays a crucial role in preparing Saudi human resources and contributing to their qualification. Its responsibilities include:

Proposing general policies for sending Saudi students abroad.
Providing technical and administrative supervision over relevant departments and units.
Developing, coordinating, and monitoring their activities.
Overseeing the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and contributing to the formulation of its policies.
Issuing scholarship decisions for students.

The Deputy Ministry for Scholarships has adopted a set of objectives aimed at building a knowledgeable and empowered society. Its goals include establishing policies and controls related to scholarships, providing general oversight of scholarship matters within the Ministry, and sending qualified Saudi talents to study at educational institutions around the world.

Safeer Scholarship Platform

Safeer Scholarship Platform is a national online platform that provides various services to students studying abroad. Safeer Scholarship Platform aims to facilitate the academic journey of scholarship students by applying modern technologies and leveragi…

Graduate Program

The Graduate Program is designed to develop young Saudis’ understanding of all aspects of contemporary media, working with them to explore today’s media and communications environment and discover what the future of media in Saudi Arabia may look like. This immersive four-week duration program will provide intensive vocational media training of an international standard. The program is fully funded. The program includes a six-month duration paid internship for 15 successful graduates at ITP Saudi’s Riyadh offices as media trainees starting in January 2024.

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