KFUPM’s Transformation Journey

Our Strategy in Expanding our Local and Global Economy

After 60 years of historically being a male only university, we welcomed female students in 2021. Female students are now admitted on a completely meritorious basis. KFUPM now boasts the highest intake of females in engineering anywhere in the world, at 50%.
Introduced undergraduate research initiatives so that every KFUPM undergraduate student must have research experience, from research introduction to full-fledged undergraduate research with thesis and publications.
We introduced the Global Citizen Program. Every KFUPM student participates in an academic international experience before graduation. In 2024, for the first time in KFUPM history, 165 students experienced international summer internships, at top companies around the world.
Enhanced our student intake and expanded the admission process to allow admission by SAT, Olympiad winners, Early Admission Program (EAP), to name a few.
The required scores to enter KFUPM are higher than in-Kingdom medical schools, and our required SAT score is higher than top-rated North American schools.
Accelerated our students’ academic journey with over half students admitted in 2024 skipping the Preparatory Year Program, thus saving students, the University, and the nation substantial resources.

We launched over 90 new programs in future-facing areas, these include:

41 industry-focused Master’s (MX) programs to help expand the economic base of the Kingdom, including Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Renewable Energy, Smart Cities, Nuclear Engineering, etc.
8 undergraduate departments and programs, including Control & Instrumentation Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Bioengineering, Environmental Science & Engineering, Smart & Sustainable Cities, Integrated Design, Electrical Engineering and Physics, and Mining Science & Engineering.
42 undergraduate concentrations (CX) in key sectors for the Kingdom, including Renewables, Hydrogen Mobility, Non-Metallics, Quantum Computing, Nuclear Power, etc.

We have completely overhauled our programs and teaching, here are some highlights:

KFUPM introduced the AI+X® platform: all our students learn Artificial Intelligence first, then their major courses. All academic programs include this – and we did it well before ChatGPT and the current AI hype! AI+X® is now a registered trademark of KFUPM. Through AI+X all our students take courses in AI + Machine Learning, Data Science + Big Data, Business + Entrepreneurship, and Career Essentials.
Our flipped classrooms incorporate Inquiry-Based Learning, and we’ve added modern active/creative learning methods. Since the start of our transformation, one-fifth of the University’s academic sections are using these modern teaching methods.

Research is now completely multi-disciplinary. We developed over 20 new interdisciplinary research centers, such as Advanced Materials, Hydrogen & Energy Storage, Renewable Energy & Power Systems, Membranes & Water Security, etc.
All of our research focuses on research for humanity, our faculty are challenged to work on research that improves the human condition.

While Saudi Arabia opens its doors to the world, so is KFUPM.

We are diverse! Our students come from 67 countries around the globe (from what was very few countries). Our graduate students have increased from 12% to 30% of the student population.
We welcomed international exchange students from top international universities, including students from Colorado School of Mines, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, and others.
Exceptional faculty and professionals from around the globe are joining our community, bringing their expertise to various colleges and positions and enriching our diverse community.