Do Saudi Universities Give Free Dormitories? A Breakdown of the Universities Open Now
173 programs with housing in the scholarship · all 123 full scholarships include a dorm · for men and women · how to check a university's dorm on Yusr
السكن الجامعي
The most common question after "is it really free?" is "where will I live?". The short answer: yes, in Saudi Arabia a dormitory is free for an international scholarship student — when housing is part of your scholarship package. You pay no rent: the university provides the room. But it is not included everywhere. We went through every international program open right now on the Study in Saudi portal (applications close 6 October 2026) and counted where housing is in the package, for whom and at which level.
How to check a university's dorm on Yusr
In the university directory every university carries a "Dormitory" mark — separately for men and for women. Ready-made filters:
- Dormitory for men — yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=boys
- Dormitory for women — yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=girls
- No dormitory — yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=none
The filter answers "does this university house international students". Whether housing is part of a specific program's scholarship is shown on the program page, under what the scholarship covers, and in the table below.
Where the dorm is part of the scholarship: 6 universities
| University | With housing | For whom | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Saud UniversityRiyadh | 34bachelor's 34 | men 31 · women 14 | Full: housing, stipend, flights, medical |
| Princess Nourah UniversityRiyadh | 27bachelor's 26 · diploma 1 | women only | Full: housing, stipend, flights, medical |
| King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddah | 58master's 42 · PhD 16 | men 49 · women 56 | Full: housing, stipend, flights, medical |
| Qassim UniversityBuraydah | 50bachelor's 23 · master's 20 · PhD 7 | bachelor's — men; master's and PhD — mixed | Partial: housing, stipend, flights |
| Jouf UniversitySakaka | 2bachelor's 2 | men | Full: housing, stipend, flights, medical |
| Northern Border UniversityArar | 2bachelor's 2 | everyone | Full: housing, stipend, flights, medical |
- 34 full-scholarship bachelor's programs — housing in every one20 men-only, 3 women-only, 11 open to both
- Plus 17 paid programsno dorm in the package
- All 27 programs include housingthe world's largest women's university, on-campus dorms
- High bargrade and test requirements are on each program page
- 58 master's and PhD programs — with a dormfull scholarship: housing, stipend, flights, medical
- 12 bachelor's and diplomas — no housing in the packagefree tuition, stipend, flights and medical; housing may still be provided — this has happened many times
- Men — 23 bachelor's programs with housingtuition, dorm, stipend, flights
- Women — 26 bachelor's programs without housingtuition, stipend and flights; no dorm in the package
- Master's and PhD — 27 programs with housing20 master's and 7 PhDs; we confirm housing for women separately
- 2 bachelor's programs for menfull package: housing, stipend, flights, medical
- 2 bachelor's programs, including Arabic for non-native speakersfull package: housing, stipend, flights, medical
Tuition-free, but no housing in the package
These universities do have dorms (see the mark in the directory), but for this intake's programs the portal lists a package without accommodation. The university may still assign a dorm place after admission — in practice it often happens — but the scholarship does not guarantee it. Budget for housing until you have confirmation.
| University | Free programs | Package per the portal |
|---|---|---|
| Umm al-Qura UniversityMakkah | 92bachelor's 49 · master's and PhD 43 | bachelor's — tuition, stipend, flights, medical; master's and PhD — tuition only |
| Islamic University of MadinahMadinah | 40higher diploma 3 · master's 24 · PhD 13 | tuition, stipend, flights · men only |
| Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic UniversityRiyadh | 16bachelor's 3 · diploma 1 · PhD 12 | tuition, stipend, flights |
| King Faisal UniversityAl-Ahsa | 62master's 55 · PhD 7 | tuition only |
For women: where the dorm is definitely in the package
- Bachelor's: Princess Nourah (26 programs + 1 diploma), King Saud (14 programs open to women), Northern Border (2).
- Master's and PhD: King Abdulaziz University — 56 programs open to women, all with housing. Qassim has 23 mixed master's and PhD programs with housing in the package — we confirm it for women before applying.
- No housing in the package: Qassim's women's bachelor's programs (26), Umm al-Qura and King Abdulaziz bachelor's — tuition is free, but housing is not guaranteed.
Universities with a women's dorm: yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=girls.
What if the program is paid?
On paid programs at private universities (Al Yamamah, PMU, Prince Sultan, Effat, the University of Jeddah's paid track and others) the price is tuition only. A dorm is not included: either the university's paid housing or renting near campus at your own cost. On a tight budget, start with programs that include housing.
FAQ
Is the dormitory in Saudi Arabia really free?
Yes, when housing is part of your scholarship. The university then gives you a dorm place and you pay no rent. According to the Study in Saudi portal as of 29 September 2026, that is the case for 173 of the 422 tuition-free programs for international students: all 123 full scholarships and 50 partial ones at Qassim University.
Which universities give a dorm on a full scholarship?
King Saud University (34 bachelor's programs), Princess Nourah University (27 programs, women only), King Abdulaziz University (58 master's and PhD programs), Jouf University (2, men) and Northern Border University (2, everyone). In this intake a full scholarship always includes housing, a stipend, flights and medical care.
Do Umm al-Qura and the Islamic University of Madinah give a dorm?
Both have dormitories, but for this intake's programs the portal does not list housing in the scholarship package. Umm al-Qura's bachelor's come with a stipend, flights and medical care; Madinah's (master's and PhD, men only) with a stipend and flights. The university may assign a dorm place after admission, but the scholarship does not guarantee it. At Umm al-Qura (and at King Abdulaziz University for bachelor's students) housing may still be provided: this has happened before, and not rarely.
Where can I see whether a university has a dormitory?
In the university directory on yusredu.co every university has a "Dormitory" mark — for men and for women. Filters: dormitory for men — yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=boys, for women — yusredu.co/en/universities?dorm=girls. Whether housing is part of a specific program's scholarship is shown on the program page.
Can I choose only programs with a dorm?
Yes. One application holds up to 25 programs — put the ones with housing in the package first (King Saud, Princess Nourah, Qassim for men, KAU master's) and keep universities without housing in the package as back-ups. Yusr builds that list for your level, gender and language.