International Office – Country Snapshot–Saudi Arabia
Country Manager: Simon Hall
Email:
Marketing Assistant: Susan Johnson
Email:
Current number of students (Sept 07): 19
New enrolments in 2007: 13
Warwick in Saudi Arabia Overview
The first visit on record from the International Office to Saudi Arabia will take place in November 2007. Warwick’s particularly high research ratings are very attractive to scholarship bodies and there would appear to be significant amount of potential to recruit at all levels, particularly PGT and PGR.
HEFP: 3
UG: 2 (WBS)
PGT/R: Engineering(6), CELTE, WBS, Biological Sciences, Chemistry
Education System in Saudi Arabia
-6+3+3 compulsory education
-English taught from grade six with plans to teach from grade 4
-4.6 million students
-1600 private schools
-C. 300,000 students complete secondary school every year
Local HE Provision
-11 state universities
-22 community colleges (2 year diploma issuing colleges – curriculum taken from state universities)
-18 teacher training colleges
-103 girls colleges (focus on distance learning + e-learning)
-10 private universities and colleges
-41 public nursing and health institutes (61 private)
Principal Sponsors for Saudi Students:
-Ministry of Higher Education (King Abdullah Scholarship Programme)
-Universities and Ministries (for their own staff)
-Aramco
-GOTEVOT (General Organisation for Technical Education and Vocational Training)
-Armed Forces (Engineering)
Visas
-Andrew Turner, Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy
-12,000 visas issued for students to UK last year
-Vast majority issued within 24 hours (often on day of submission)
-Refusal rate less than 1%
-Biometrics/points based system to be introduced from summer/autumn 2007
-C. 300,000 students complete secondary school every year
Entry Qualifications
-2:1 is equivalent to GPA of 3.7/5.0 or 2.8/4.0
-1:1 is equivalent to 4.4/5.0 or 3.5/4.0
-Please contact International Office before making offers to private institutions
As all degrees are accredited by same body, the Saudi government does not differentiate between one university and another or between degrees from a public or private institution. However, the best students normally go to the most sought after universities, which are marked in italics in the tables below:
University Name / Date of Est. / Main CampusKingSaudUniversity / 1957 / Riyadh
Islamic University / 1960 / Madina
Imam Muhammead Ibn Saud University / 1974 (1953) / Riyadh
KingAbdulazizUniversity / 1967 / Jeddah
KingFahdUniversity for Petrol & Minerals / 1975 (1963) / Dharan
KingFaisalUniversity / 1975 / Hafouf
Um al-QuraUniversity / 1981 (1949) / Makka
KingKhalidUniversity / 1998 / Abha
University of TalbahUniversity / 2003 / Madina
University of Al Qasseem University / 2003 / Buraidah
University of Al Taif University / 2003 / Taif
GirlsUniversityUniversity / 2004 / Riyadh
KingSaudUniversity for Health Sciences / 2006 / Riyadh
University of AlJoufUniversity / 2006 / AlJouf
University of HalelUniversity / 2006 / Halel
University of TaboukUniversity / 2006 / Tabouk
University of Al Bahah University / 2006 / Al Bahah
KingAbdullahUniversity for ST / 2006 / Jeddah
University of JezanUniversity / 2006 / Jezan
King Abdullah Scholarship Programme
NOTE: There has been a huge increase in the number of KASP scholarships, which has inevitably meant that the quality of some students has dropped significantly. Insist upon recommended GPAs (as some will have much lower)
Fields of study:
Medicine, Dentistry, Health Sciences, Pharmacology, Engineering, Computer related studies, Basic Sciences, Law, Accounting, E-commerce, Marketing, Business Administration
Scholars preparation
-Orientation programme: educational system, law and regulations, cultural differences
-Language training: to reach required level of proficiency (covers up to one year of language training)
English Language
-There is a huge market for CELTE’s Intensive Course in English (ICE) as well as the Presessional. Ensure that this is recommended to all applicants to consider as most sponsoring bodies will sponsor for English Language also.
-If students language is below the capacity of the minimum entry requirement for CELTE, recommend to WarwickshireCollege. Current contact is Janet Daniel (Senior International Officer) or Julie Peach (Director International))
Intensive Course of English (
Term 1: 1st October - 8 December (approximately)
Term 2: 7th January - 15th March
Term 3: 21st April - 28th June
Presessional Course in English (
Summer Phase 1: 14th July - 15th August (for IELTS 5.5 students who need 6.5)
Summer Phase 2: 18th August - 19th September (for IELTS 6.0 students who need 6.5)
The entire one year programme would aim to bring you from approximately IELTS 4.5/5.0 to IELTS 7.0 (However this would require a strong amount of dedication and hard work from the student).
Warwick English Language Test
The WELT is available to take through the local agent. Feel free to recommend to students as an alternative to IELTS and TOEFL.
Undergraduate offers:
-Thanawiya/Tawajihi (Local Arab System) – 80% overall with 80% minimum in degree relevant subjects plus IELTS 5.5
-International Baccalaureate (as per the prospectus)
-A Levels (as per the prospectus)
Some very good feeder schools in the Eastern province for HEFP:
-Jubail Al Ahlia, Manarat Al Shaqia, Dhahran Ahlia. Contact local BC to arrange visit/contact, as well as asking current students on HEFP
Saudi Society
We have a Saudi association in Coventry which is headed up by one of our students in Engineering. Mohammed Al Soufi. . Another student in this society is Ghazi Alharbi . The society does a lot of work helping Saudi sponsored stuednts settle into the area with their families.
Representative
Agent services available through Global Vision (visa invitation letters, promotional visit advice, etc)
(last updated February 2008)