Saudi Arabia announced a new programme for scholarships on Sunday that does not specify an age limit for students nor restrict them to their previous fields of study.
Its Education Minister Hamad Al Sheikh said Al Masar would encourage citizens to enrol at the best universities in the world, in subjects that meet the aims of Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
“The Ministry of Education launches the ‘path of excellence’ in partnership with several government agencies; to enable our sons and daughters to enrol in the best international universities and to study specific specialisations needed by the nation to achieve its comprehensive development,” Mr Al Sheikh said on Twitter.
Called Al Masar [The Path], the programme will cover 32 disciplines at 70 universities around the world.
It is being delivered as part of Safeer, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Programme for External Scholarships.
Abdurhrman Saad, 24, who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, said the step would at last enable him to pursue a master’s degree in theatre.
“With the previous roles for scholarships I was only allowed to apply for media studies, but now I can aim to get the scholarship for a field I love – and it matches the vision goal in supporting the arts.”
Nadia Abdulwahab, 59, a lecturer and translator at Umm Al Qura University, was also happy.
“I was accepted before for a PhD in the UK, but as my father got sick I had to withdraw my application. When I applied again I was too old to meet the criteria for Saudi scholarships,” she said.
Ms Abdulwahab hopes now to pursue the dream she put on hold for 20 years, and apply again for a doctorate.
“This is really amazing and very inspiring.”
Saudi Education Minister Hamad Al Sheikh said Al Masar will “allow our sons and daughters to join the best international universities, and study quality fields the homeland needs to realise its comprehensive development”.
Since 2005, hundreds of thousands of Saudi citizens have studied English and taken undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at universities and colleges around the world.
Students apply for Al Masar programme through an online platform, which opened on Sunday for 32 disciplines at 70 universities worldwide.
Applicants must obtain admission independently and commit to studying abroad.
