Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

What Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University does

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) is the world's largest women's university, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, operating as a public institution under the Saudi Ministry of Education. Founded through consolidation of women's educational institutions dating to 1974 and formally constituted in 1429 AH (2008 CE), it serves 32,143 students across 18 colleges and institutes offering 142 academic programs (82 bachelor's, 39 postgraduate, 26 diploma) spanning scientific, health, humanities, applied, and language disciplines, with programs deliberately aligned to Saudi Vision 2030 labor market priorities including Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Computer Science, Business Administration, and Sports Science.

PNU operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem anchored by Smart Suitcase — a Microsoft cloud-based collaboration platform providing email, Teams, OneDrive (6TB per user), Office Online, Yammer, and Office ProPlus — alongside Blackboard Learn LMS with multi-factor authentication. Administrative and operational layers include GRP (Government Resource Planning), Tarasol electronic correspondence, Hadir attendance, PMO project management, EQMS quality/accreditation, a Decision Support System on Power BI, and over 100 e-services accessible via a central portal. Research infrastructure comprises institutional funding (25,000 SAR per project), five research chairs (AI in Healthcare, Environmental Pollution, Volunteer Work, Children's Literature, Children's/Young Adult Literature), an Institutional Review Board registered with the National Bioethics Committee, and a Research Services Unit providing iThenticate plagiarism checking and global publishing workshops.

The business model is government-funded: core operations, infrastructure, and research are financed through Ministry of Education budget allocations, supplemented by tuition from fee-based admission pathways (for students whose high school diploma is more than five years old), nominal document replacement fees of 50 SAR, and revenue-generating corporate training partnerships including the Salesforce AI skilling program (30,000-learner target) and the Nourah Training Platform. Education is distributed through the single Riyadh campus and digital channels, with admissions routed through Saudi Arabia's centralized National Unified Admission Platform (uap.sa). The institution has no private equity, venture capital, or public listing; strategic direction is set by a University Council under Ministry of Education supervision, with multi-year accreditations (NCAAA institutional accreditation until 2032; WHO Health-Promoting University designation; full programmatic accreditation for Nursing through 2028) underpinning long-term operating stability.

Name

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

Legal name

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

Website

https://pnu.edu.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University is the world's largest women's university, operating 18 colleges across 142 programs for 32,143 students in Riyadh under the Saudi Ministry of Education, with digital infrastructure spanning Microsoft cloud, Blackboard LMS, and Salesforce AI skilling partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Women’s Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH), Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Women's university
• Academic programs
• Postgraduate studies
• Research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a public Saudi university, PNU is primarily funded by the Saudi government through the Ministry of Education. Core operations, research, and infrastructure are supported by state budget allocations aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.
2. Tuition (Paid Programs): Certain fee-based programs allow admissions for students whose high school diploma is more than five years old, charged at program rates. The university also charges nominal fees for replacement documents (50 SAR for academic records or graduation documents).
3. Corporate Training & Skilling Partnerships: Revenue-generating training programs through partnerships (e.g., Salesforce partnership to train 30,000 learners in AI skills). Also through Nourah Training Platform (TMS) offering professional training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University is a public women's university that delivers higher education through bachelor's, postgraduate, and diploma academic programs across 18 colleges, institutes, and specialized centers. It supplements classroom instruction with digital learning services such as Blackboard LMS, Microsoft Smart Suitcase, and AWS-powered cloud infrastructure, and supports applied research and workforce training through industry and global technology partnerships.

Product overview

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem comprising core cloud services, academic platforms, administrative systems, and research infrastructure. The Smart Suitcase (Microsoft cloud partnership) provides students and employees with email, Teams, OneDrive (6TB), and Office tools. The university utilizes Blackboard LMS for e-learning, multiple administrative systems (Tarasol for correspondence, GRP for finance, Hadir for attendance, PMO for project management, EQMS for accreditation), student/faculty self-service portals, and extensive research platforms including institutional funding management, five research chairs (AI in Healthcare, Children's Literature, Environmental Pollution, Volunteer Work, Children's/YA Literature), and ethical compliance services. The institution has partnerships with Salesforce for AI upskilling (30,000 learners goal) and operates data governance frameworks including open data policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's degree programs Undergraduate academic degree programs spanning multiple disciplines, delivered across 18 colleges and institutes to female students seeking a first university qualification.
• Postgraduate degree programs Master's and doctoral academic programs offered to female graduates for advanced specialization and research, drawing on PNU's graduate colleges and research centers.
• Diploma and continuing education programs Specialized diploma and continuing-education programs supporting professional upskilling and shorter-cycle credentials for female learners.
• Microsoft Smart Suitcase digital service suite Cloud-delivered Microsoft-based service suite (email, Office, collaboration, and storage) provisioned to PNU students as part of their enrollment.
• Blackboard-powered online learning service Online learning and course delivery service for PNU students and faculty based on the Blackboard Learning Management System, supporting remote and blended instruction.
• Salesforce AI Upskilling Program Enterprise AI and CRM upskilling program delivered in partnership with Salesforce for PNU students, preparing them for careers in Salesforce-based AI roles.
• Applied research and research-support services Research services delivered through PNU's dedicated research centers, research chairs, and Research Services Unit, supporting faculty and student research output.
• Industry Liaison Council services Industry-partnership services connecting PNU students and faculty with employers for internships, research collaboration, and graduate employment pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 3rd in Saudi Arabia, 301-400 globally in Shanghai Ranking 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Council / UK Research Collaboration ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026The British Council signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) to fund nine joint UK-KSA research projects totaling more than SR4 million. Princess Nourah University is one of the award recipients, alongside KAUST, KACST, and King Saud University. Projects focus on healthcare, clean energy, water efficiency, antimicrobial resistance, precision medicine, and genomics. The funding is part of the UK-KSA Research Collaboration Programme through the International Science Partnerships Fund.
• Netherlands Agricultural Network in GCC (LAN-GCC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2026LAN-GCC collaborated with the Saudi Agrifood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) to organize a sustainable protein seminar during Saudi Agriculture 2025 in Riyadh. The seminar explored insect-based feed ingredients and algae/seaweed solutions for aquaculture, demonstrating Saudi interest in Dutch knowledge cooperation for sustainable protein systems.
• Salesforce Saudi ArabiacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2025Salesforce launched its Saudi Arabia operations with a university partnership with Princess Nourah University for AI upskilling, targeting 30,000 learners and specifically empowering women in the digital workforce. This followed the $500M investment commitment announced at LEAP 2025. Salesforce also launched its regional headquarters in Riyadh and hosted its first Innovation Day in the Kingdom.
• Franklin TempletonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Franklin Templeton launched the HeadStart program in Saudi Arabia to empower female students in finance, in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Investment and BNY. While primarily involving the Ministry of Investment and BNY, the program aims to nurture women leaders in finance in Saudi Arabia, aligning with PNU's women's empowerment mission.
• Alkhaleej TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2025Alkhaleej Training signed a contract with Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. The specific details of the contract were not disclosed in the available source.
• SalesforcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025Salesforce announced a $500 million investment in Saudi Arabia including a partnership with Princess Nourah University to advance women's workforce participation. The partnership aims to train 30,000 Saudi citizens in AI skills, with specific focus on empowering women in the digital workforce. This aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 goals for economic diversification and digital transformation.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 February 2025Salesforce's Hyperforce platform is deployed through a strategic partnership with AWS in Saudi Arabia, supporting the $500M investment in the Kingdom. This cloud infrastructure supports AI skilling and digital transformation initiatives.
• Capgemini, Deloitte, Globant, IBM, PwCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 February 2025Salesforce's $500M Saudi investment includes expanding the local partner ecosystem with Capgemini, Deloitte, Globant, IBM, and PwC to support AI transformation projects in the Kingdom.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationPNU's Smart Suitcase is a cloud service provided by the university in partnership with Microsoft. The partnership provides email (50GB per student), Microsoft Teams, Office Online, Yammer social network, OneDrive cloud storage (6TB per user), and Office ProPlus (5 licenses per user) to all students and employees.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Effat University: Effat University is a private women's university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, making it the closest direct peer to PNU in terms of women-only higher education focus, Saudi Vision 2030 alignment, and STEM/health program portfolio.
• Dar Al-Hekma University: Dar Al-Hekma University is a private women-focused university in Jeddah offering bachelor's and master's programs, directly comparable to PNU as another women-led higher education institution in Saudi Arabia.

Broad incumbents

• King Saud University: King Saud University is the largest public university in Saudi Arabia and Riyadh's flagship comprehensive institution, broadly comparable to PNU in scale, program breadth, and government funding structure, though co-ed and more established globally.
• King Abdulaziz University: King Abdulaziz University is a major Saudi public comprehensive university in Jeddah with strong research output and large enrollment, broadly comparable to PNU in program breadth and MoE funding, but co-ed and with stronger international ranking.
• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University is a large Saudi public university in Dammam with comprehensive programs and health/science specialization, broadly comparable to PNU as another MoE-funded multi-college institution serving Saudi students.
• Umm Al-Qura University: Umm Al-Qura University is a large Saudi public university in Makkah with comprehensive programs and significant enrollment, broadly comparable to PNU as a public multi-college institution with strong national standing.

Regional players

• Prince Sultan University: Prince Sultan University is a leading private Saudi university in Riyadh with strong STEM and business programs, comparable to PNU as a Riyadh-based higher education institution competing for similar students and corporate partnerships, though co-ed and privately funded.
• Alfaisal University: Alfaisal University is a private Saudi university in Riyadh with strong STEM, business, and medicine programs, comparable to PNU as a Riyadh-based higher education institution targeting similar Vision 2030-aligned fields, though co-ed and privately funded.
• Qatar University: Qatar University is the largest public university in Qatar with comprehensive programs and government funding, regionally comparable to PNU as a GCC public comprehensive university serving national workforce development priorities.
• United Arab Emirates University: UAEU is the oldest and largest public comprehensive university in the UAE, regionally comparable to PNU as a GCC public flagship university with strong government backing and broad program portfolio aligned with national development goals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_PNU_KSA

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University