The KAUST Graduate Scholarship is the funding package that comes with admission to Master's and PhD programs at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. If you are admitted to a graduate program there, the scholarship pays your full tuition, gives you an annual living allowance of USD 20,000 to 30,000, puts you in free on-campus housing, and covers medical and dental care. For a Pakistani student in a STEM field who wants a research career, it is one of the few offers where money stops being the main worry.
It is also a narrow offer. KAUST is a graduate research university built in 2009 and dedicated entirely to STEM research and graduate education. If you want an MBA, a law degree or a humanities program, this is the wrong place to look. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing, and this guide walks through what the package pays, who it really suits, and where applicants lose marks.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded: tuition, USD 20,000-30,000 per year living allowance, housing, medical and dental, relocation support |
| Level | Master's and PhD |
| Fields | STEM disciplines offered at KAUST |
| Host | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality | All non-Saudi citizens |
| English | TOEFL iBT 81 or IELTS 6.5 minimum |
| Last cycle deadlines | Round 1: October 1, 2025. Round 2: January 17, 2026 |
| Usually opens | August (confirm the current cycle on the official portal) |
| Official site | KAUST graduate admissions portal |
The 20,000 to 30,000 dollar allowance, and what sits around it
The headline number is the living allowance: USD 20,000 to 30,000 a year, which works out to roughly USD 1,667 to 2,500 a month. Where you land in that range depends on your degree level and how you progress academically. The higher end, around USD 30,000 a year, typically applies to PhD students at advanced stages. A first-year Master's student should plan around the lower figure and treat any increase as a bonus that comes with progress, not a promise.
The allowance is only part of the package. The full list of what is covered:
- Full tuition fees
- An annual living allowance of USD 20,000 to 30,000, depending on degree level and academic progression
- Free on-campus housing
- Comprehensive medical and dental coverage (the university describes this as covering students and their families)
- Relocation support to Saudi Arabia
Because housing is free and healthcare is covered, the allowance goes much further than the same sum would in a European city. For comparison, most European scholarships pay EUR 700 to 1,200 a month, and students there still pay rent out of that. If your family has been worried about how you would survive abroad on a stipend, KAUST is about as close to zero personal cost as graduate study gets.
One honest caution: the family medical coverage and the exact allowance level for your program are things to confirm in your offer letter, not assumptions to build plans on. Ask the admissions office in writing if you intend to bring a spouse or children.
Who KAUST is a good fit for, and who should skip it
The scholarship is open to all non-Saudi citizens from any country, so Pakistani students are eligible. The question is less whether you can apply and more whether you are the kind of applicant KAUST picks.
KAUST values research potential above grades. A student with top grades and no research experience will usually look weaker than a student with a solid record and a real final-year project, a lab placement, or a conference paper. If you have done research under a professor in Pakistan and can talk about it in detail, you are the profile this scholarship is built for.
The program areas listed include:
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Environmental Science and Engineering
- Marine Science
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Applied Mathematics and Computational Science
- Bioscience
- Earth Science and Engineering
- Statistics
This is not the full list. Check the KAUST admissions information page for every program currently offered.
Skip it if your field is outside STEM, or if you want a taught Master's mainly for a job abroad with no interest in research. You will struggle to write a convincing research statement, and the cohort is small, so places are limited.
Some practical points that matter for Pakistani families: the campus is entirely English-speaking and no Arabic is required for admission or study. Students, faculty and researchers come from over 100 nationalities. The campus sits on the Red Sea coast near Jeddah and has its own housing, medical facilities, schools and beaches. Halal food and a Muslim environment make the move easier for many students than a first year in Europe or North America.
The formal eligibility bar
The written requirements are short:
- You must be a non-Saudi citizen.
- For a Master's, you need a Bachelor's degree. For a PhD, you need a Master's degree.
- You need a strong academic record in STEM.
- You need TOEFL iBT 81 or IELTS 6.5 at minimum.
- All your documents must be attested by the respective higher authorities.
Notice there is no fixed CGPA cutoff stated. "Strong academic record" is judged alongside your research, so do not rule yourself out over a slightly lower CGPA if your research work is good. The English scores are minimums. Aim above them if you can.
Three recommendation letters is where most applications are won or lost
KAUST requires three letters of recommendation, and they must come from professors or research advisors in your major field. General character references do not count. The letters are not uploaded by you: you enter your recommenders' contact details in the portal and KAUST contacts them directly.
The common mistake is asking three course instructors who gave you an A. Those letters tend to say you were punctual and scored well, which tells the committee nothing about research. Ask the supervisor of your final-year project or thesis, a professor whose lab you worked in, and anyone who co-authored or guided a paper with you. Give them your CV, a short note on what you worked on together, and plenty of time. Pakistani professors are often overloaded around deadline season, and a late letter can stall your file.
Documents to get ready, and why attestation comes first
The application asks for:
- The online application form
- A CV
- Three letters of recommendation, submitted directly by your recommenders through the portal
- Attested academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Your TOEFL iBT or IELTS score
- Any additional documents the application system asks for
The portal description also mentions a research statement, and KAUST's own advice tells applicants to highlight research in their CV and personal statement. Expect to write one, and treat it as the most important piece you control.
Attestation is the step Pakistani applicants underestimate. Every academic document must be officially attested before submission, and the attestation offices in Pakistan take time. Start this before you even open the application. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains the Pakistani side of the process, and the documents checklist for international scholarships helps you organise everything else.
Applying through the portal, from account to enrolment
- Create an account on the KAUST application portal.
- Prepare and attest all required documents before you start filling in the form.
- Enter the contact details of your three recommenders. The portal contacts them directly.
- Complete and submit the online application, including your research statement and CV.
- If you are shortlisted, complete the online interview.
- Wait for final admission results.
- If admitted, complete registration and enrolment.
The interview is online, so you do not need to travel. Prepare to explain your past research clearly and to say why a specific KAUST research area or faculty member fits what you want to do next.
Two rounds a year, and why the earlier one is better
KAUST runs two application rounds each year. In the last cycle, the Round 1 window ran from August 15 to October 1, 2025, and the Round 2 deadline was January 17, 2026. Both of those dates have now passed. Applications typically open around August, so watch apply.kaust.edu.sa for the 2026-27 dates and confirm the exact current deadlines on the official portal rather than assuming they repeat.
The earlier round is the recommended one. Apply in Round 1 if you possibly can. Working backwards, that means booking your TOEFL or IELTS, starting attestation and approaching your recommenders in early summer, not in September.
After the interview round, results come out and admitted students move on to the visa stage. KAUST issues a formal admission letter, which is used to obtain the Saudi residence permit (Iqama) after arrival. For visa documentation, Pakistani students deal with the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Islamabad (Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 4, phone +92-51-9216800, embassy website). Once you are at KAUST, the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh handles consular services (Pakistani House, Batha, Riyadh 11442, phone +966-11-4880830, embassy website).
What separates a strong KAUST file from a forgettable one
KAUST admissions committees read thousands of applications. Generic statements stand out quickly, and so do applicants who have clearly read the work of the faculty they mention. A few things make a real difference:
- Write a focused research statement that names specific KAUST faculty and their work, and connects it to what you have already done.
- Put your research evidence up front in your CV: thesis, lab work, publications or preprints, conference presentations.
- Choose recommenders who supervised your research, not just teachers whose courses you passed.
- Finish attestation early so a slow office does not cost you Round 1.
The mistakes are the mirror image: a statement that could be sent to any university, a CV that lists grades but no projects, and letters from people who barely know your work. If you are still building your research record, it can be smarter to spend a semester on a serious project and apply in the next cycle than to send a thin application now. For a wider view of your options, see all Saudi Arabia scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the monthly stipend at KAUST?
The annual living allowance is USD 20,000 to 30,000, roughly USD 1,667 to 2,500 a month. The amount depends on your degree level and academic progression, and the higher end typically goes to PhD students at advanced stages.
Can Pakistani students apply?
Yes. The scholarship is open to all non-Saudi citizens from any country, which includes Pakistan.
Do I need to know Arabic?
No. KAUST is entirely English-speaking, and Arabic is not required for admission or study.
What English test score do I need?
The minimum is TOEFL iBT 81 or IELTS 6.5. These are floors, so a higher score helps.
Is there a separate scholarship application?
You apply for your Master's or PhD program through the KAUST graduate admissions portal. The funding package covers admitted graduate students, so the admission application is the one that counts. Confirm the details for your program on the official portal.
Which round should I apply in?
Round 1, which in the last cycle closed on October 1. KAUST recommends the earlier round. Check the official portal for the current year's dates.
Before you apply, confirm the current cycle and deadlines on the official KAUST admissions portal, and keep the KAUST Graduate Scholarship page bookmarked for updates.