King Saud University

Name

King Saud University

Legal name

King Saud University (جامعة الملك سعود)

Website

https://ksu.edu.sa

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Academic research programs
• Medical education training
• University e-services
• Technology transfer commercialization

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

King Saud University is a public research university that provides undergraduate and graduate education across multiple colleges, conducts scientific research, and delivers healthcare through its University Medical City. It also operates an investment arm (Riyadh Valley Company) supporting technology commercialization and a startup accelerator in partnership with SparkLabs. The university delivers digital academic and administrative services through mobile applications, e-services portals, a learning management system, and an open data portal.

Product overview

King Saud University is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational services and digital platforms. The university's product portfolio includes mobile applications (Ayat App), digital service portals for students and staff, a Learning Management System (LMS) for academic content delivery, a Data Management Office providing institutional data services, and an Open Data Portal for transparency. These services are integrated through the university's digital infrastructure including single sign-on authentication and are governed by institutional policies including privacy, data protection, and electronic participation guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Riyadh Valley Company: Investment arm of King Saud University managing venture capital and startup accelerator programs
• Doroob

Products and services

• Ayat Mobile App (تطبيق آيات)
• Student E-Services Portal (الخدمات الإلكترونية للطلاب) Electronic services portal providing students access to academic records, registration, and other student-related administrative functions.
• Staff E-Services Portal (الخدمات الإلكترونية للمنسوبين) Electronic services portal for university staff and faculty members to access administrative and professional services.
• Learning Management System (LMS) University learning management system for delivering course materials, assignments, and academic resources to students. Access requires single sign-on authentication via the university's identity management system.
• Open Data Portal University open data initiative providing access to research, student, faculty, and employee data for transparency and public information purposes.
• Data Management Office Services Office providing data management services including information requests, open data access, and data sharing with government entities, operating under Saudi data protection regulations.
• SparkLabs-KSU Accelerator Program Startup accelerator and venture fund program for university-based entrepreneurs, researchers, and faculty to develop and commercialize technology projects through the KSU-SparkLabs accelerator.
• University Medical City Healthcare Services Academic medical institution affiliated with the university, ranked first globally in oncology and cardiac medicine per SCImago Institutions Rankings, providing clinical care, medical training, and research.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, major and operational.

• SparkLabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Partnership to establish a venture fund and startup accelerator targeting projects led by students, researchers, and faculty members. SparkLabs manages the fund across its global network spanning more than 12 countries. The program aims to strengthen the university's innovation ecosystem and build capabilities of university-based entrepreneurs within the knowledge economy.
• Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026SDAIA launched the National Cross-Disciplinary Curriculum in Data and AI at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026) held at King Saud University in Riyadh. The training is mandatory for all undergraduates across disciplines at Saudi universities. SDAIA signed MoUs with 14 public and private universities to establish collaboration frameworks.
• Project Management Institute (PMI)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026Strategic Memorandum of Understanding to enhance project management capabilities across academia and industry in Saudi Arabia. The partnership enables co-development of research, case studies, and knowledge resources, while providing KSU faculty and staff with access to PMI's professional development platform, certifications, and global expert network. Aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 national workforce capability objectives.
• Diriyah CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 January 202670-year lease agreement between Riyadh Valley Company (KSU's investment arm) and Diriyah Company for 552,000 square meters of land to be developed as part of Phase Two of the Diriyah Project in Saudi Arabia. The deal aims to maximize the university's assets through a sustainable investment model while supporting Saudi Vision 2030 goals by integrating academic and development sectors.
• Hexagon and Ma'adenstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026Mining education partnership providing students at King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals with access to enterprise-level mining software, faculty training programs, and internship opportunities at operational facilities including the Mansourah-Massarah digital mine project. Aligns with Vision 2030 objectives targeting approximately $25.9 billion in mining sector GDP contribution.
• Savvy Games GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Memorandum of Understanding to develop talent for Saudi Arabia's games and esports industry. The partnership aims to create educational programs and opportunities aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 for economic diversification and youth empowerment.
• SenseTime MEAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Joint AI Innovation Centre launched in Riyadh, a joint venture between SenseTime Group and the Public Investment Fund. The centre aims to foster AI research and applications across multiple sectors including health, energy, entertainment, logistics, smart cities, environmental monitoring, and space science. Supported by a GPU cluster to scale initiatives.
• Renad Al-Majd for Information Technology CompanyoperationalTechnology or IntegrationCooperation agreement to enhance the university's data management ecosystem. The partnership supports the Data Management Office's initiatives in data governance, open data, and data protection compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST): Saudi Arabia's graduate-level research university, also publicly funded and based in Saudi Arabia. Directly comparable as a flagship Saudi research university competing for the same Vision 2030 mandates, faculty talent, and government R&D funding, but with a graduate-only, English-language, and more STEM-concentrated model.
• King Abdulaziz University (KAU): Major public research university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sharing Vision 2030 program funding, faculty talent, and partnerships (e.g., the Hexagon/Ma'aden mining training initiative). Comparable as a multi-disciplinary Saudi public research university with significant research output and an academic medical center.
• King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM): Saudi Arabia's leading STEM-focused public university, based in Dhahran. Comparable as a flagship Saudi public research institution participating in the same national partnerships (Hexagon/Ma'aden, SDAIA AI curriculum) and competing for the same engineering, mining, and energy talent pipeline.
• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU): Saudi public university based in Dammam that is part of the same national higher-education system. Comparable as a public research university competing for the same domestic student pool, government funding cycles, and Vision 2030 program participation.
• Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU): Saudi public university in Riyadh, one of the largest women's universities globally. Comparable as a Riyadh-based Saudi public university under the same Ministry of Education funding umbrella, competing for female student enrollment and Vision 2030 women-workforce mandates.
• King Faisal University (KFU): Saudi public university in Al-Ahsa. Comparable as a Saudi public university under the same Ministry of Education, sharing national curriculum and research mandates, and competing for regional student enrollment and government R&D funding.
• Saudi Electronic University (SEU): Saudi public university specializing in online and blended learning. Comparable as a Saudi public university under the same Ministry of Education competing for the same domestic students and offering a direct alternative channel for Vision 2030-aligned training programs that KSU also delivers through its LMS and Ayat app.

Others

• Umm Al-Qura University (UQU):

Regional players

• Khalifa University (UAE): UAE's flagship public research university based in Abu Dhabi. Comparable as a Gulf public research university pursuing similar Vision-aligned mandates around AI, energy, and aerospace, and competing with KSU for top regional STEM talent and partnerships with global technology firms.
• Qatar University: Qatar's primary public research university in Doha. Comparable as a Gulf public research university with a medical college and government-backed R&D portfolio, competing for regional faculty, GCC student flows, and government-to-government research collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_KSU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pdksuchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/King.Saud.University
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/king-saud-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/king_saud_university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about King Saud University