Saudi Arabia announces first foreign scholarship program in space sciences

RIYADH — The Saudi Space Commission announced on Wednesday the launch of the first Saudi Foreign Scholarship Program, ending with employment in the field of space sciences. Applications for the Space Scholarship program will commence from July 25.

This program provides qualitative educational opportunities for Saudi male and female students in space science disciplines in a total of 30 most prestigious universities around the world. This initiative comes within the framework of the comprehensive development witnessed by the Kingdom’s space sector.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Tamimi, acting CEO of the commission, said that the scholarship program comes within the commission’s ambitious plans to help the Kingdom accomplish global leadership in space sciences, as well as to realize the Kingdom’s aspirations in the sector that enjoys the support of the wise leadership, and that has been positively reflected on the sector’s development, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Tamimi drew attention to the commission’s work through many paths to achieve global leadership in space sciences, including human capital development, qualification of competencies, and ensuring the availability of qualified national cadets, who are required for the space sector in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

He said that the first phase of the scholarship program would include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field of space in several disciplines including aerospace engineering, space sciences and space policies.

According to the terms and conditions for the submission of application, the applicant shall be a Saudi national with good conduct, and has a direct, unconditional acceptance in the field of space specializations or is pursuing self-study in the designated universities in the specific specializations, in addition to adhering to the terms and condition of the foreign scholarship rules that are prevalent in the Ministry of Education.

It is noteworthy that the program includes many advantages offered to male and female students by joining a scientific mission that ends in employment in the space sector, including study costs and financial guarantee, in addition to health insurance and travel tickets from the Kingdom to the headquarters of the scholarship study, and providing guidance programs by following up on the scholarship student and evaluating his academic progress.