Saudi Arabia's scholarship program drives strong presence at elite US, Canadian universities

The presence of Saudi students abroad underscores the Kingdom's commitment to developing human capital in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 WASHINGTON: Saudi Cultural Attache to the US and Canada Tahani Al-Baiz said Saudi students continue to strengthen their academic presence at elite institutions in America and Canada, with the number of enrollments reaching about 1,545 at pioneer universities, according to 2026 statistics. It comes as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, which aims to boost human capital efficiency by offering scholarships to leading global educational institutions, with the pioneers track targeting the top 30 educational institutions worldwide. Of this total, 950 students are enrolled at US universities under the pioneer universities category, while about 595 are scholarship recipients at the University of Toronto in Canada, including about 325 Saudi medical doctors. Al-Baiz said that 449 students, representing 47.3 percent of those enrolled at pioneer universities, are pursuing studies in engineering, computing, natural sciences and mathematics, with engineering, manufacturing and construction leading study areas with 276 students. Regarding Saudi women, female students at pioneer universities in the US number 434, representing 45.7 percent of the total, with parity even clearer at the master's level — 205 female students compared to 209 male students. Al-Baiz said that the presence of Saudi students at leading universities in the US and Canada reflects the Kingdom's commitment to developing national human capital in line with Saudi Vision 2030 targets.