Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University

What Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University does

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University (PMU) is a private, nonprofit higher education institution established in 2006/2007 in Al Khobar, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It delivers undergraduate and graduate education across six colleges — Engineering, Computer Engineering & Sciences, Business Administration, Law, Architecture and Design, and Sciences & Human Studies — under a North American credit-hour model with English as the primary language of instruction. The university also runs a 1-4 semester preparatory program in English and mathematics for incoming students, plus continuing education through an English Language Institute and Professional Development Center. Graduate offerings include PhD programs (Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration), Master's degrees (MBA, EMBA, M.Sc. tracks), and a Master of Arts in International Business Law. PMU supports eight specialized research centers covering Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Space Research, Cognitive Science, Environment & Water Solutions, Applied Energy & Industrial Decarbonization, Future Studies, and a Patent Center.

PMU's underlying technology stack is standard educational SaaS — BlackBoard LMS for course delivery, Banner Self Service for student information, Microsoft 365 for collaboration, and a Learning Resource Center with e-journals, e-books, and interlibrary loan access including the British Library Document Supply Centre — augmented by academic support services such as the Writing and Research Center and a recommended Grammarly integration. The institution is NCAAA-aligned, ranked #1 in Saudi Arabia by Times Higher Education (2024) and 436th globally by QS, and draws faculty from 28 nationalities at a 1:23 faculty-to-student ratio.

The business model is tuition-driven under a credit-hour subscription structure billed per semester for undergraduates and per program for graduate degrees, with additional revenue from the preparatory program, English Language Institute, Professional Development Center, and corporate training. GTM is direct-to-consumer via an online application portal, on-campus admission offices, the Global Engagement office for international recruitment, and participation in education exhibitions. Customer segments include Saudi high school graduates (primary), international students, graduate and executive professionals, and corporate employers engaged through internship and Career Services channels.

Name

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University

Legal name

Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University

Website

https://pmu.edu.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University is a private Saudi university in Al Khobar offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across six colleges under a North American credit-hour, English-medium model, serving Saudi and international students with tuition-based revenue and supporting research across eight specialized centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Business & Management Research Universities (EDAHABAE)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• University research centers
• Preparatory academic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Az Zahra'

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate degree programs across six colleges including Engineering, Computer Engineering & Sciences, Business Administration, Law, Architecture and Design, and Sciences & Human Studies. Students pay tuition per credit hour under North American model.
2. Graduate Program Tuition: Revenue from graduate programs including PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration, Master's degrees (MBA, EMBA, M.Sc. in various engineering fields, MA in International Business Law), and professional certificates.
3. Preparatory Program Fees: Revenue from intensive English and mathematics preparatory program (1-4 semesters, 22-29 hours/week) that prepares students for university-level study.
4. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Revenue from English Language Institute, Professional Development Center, and corporate training programs for the community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University (PMU) is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across six colleges (Engineering, Computer Engineering & Sciences, Business Administration, Law, Architecture and Design, and Sciences & Human Studies) following a North American credit-hour academic model with English as the medium of instruction. The university also runs an intensive English and mathematics Preparatory Program (1–4 semesters) to bridge students into degree-level study, alongside supporting student services including career services, internships, and academic support.

Product overview

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University (PMU) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs across six colleges: College of Engineering, College of Computer Engineering & Sciences, College of Business Administration, College of Law, College of Architecture and Design, and College of Sciences & Human Studies. The university follows a North American academic model with a Preparatory Program for foundational skills development. PMU operates eight specialized research centers including Centers for Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Space Research, Cognitive Science, Environment & Water Solutions, Applied Energy and Industrial Decarbonization, Future Studies, and Patent services. Academic support is provided through the Learning Resource Center (LRC) with library services, the Writing and Research Center (WRC) for academic skills development, and technology platforms including BlackBoard LMS and Banner Self Service. Graduate programs include PhD and Master's degrees in engineering, business, and law disciplines. The institution also provides student services including career services, internship programs, and global engagement initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preparatory Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,542+ alumni graduated since 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Partner Institutions (Study Abroad Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMU's Global Engagement office maintains international institutional partnerships facilitating student exchange and study abroad opportunities. Selected intermediate and advanced preparatory program students can spend a semester at American colleges with PMU-coordinated course matching. The university supports international engagement initiatives and regional partnerships across various colleges and departments.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM): KFUPM is Saudi Arabia's premier STEM-focused research university located in Dhahran, directly adjacent to PMU's Al Khobar home base. It offers undergraduate and graduate engineering/science programs in English and competes with PMU for the same Saudi student pool, faculty, and corporate-employer relationships in the Eastern Province.
• Alfaisal University: Alfaisal is a private, non-profit Saudi university in Riyadh operating on a North American model with English-medium instruction across Engineering, Business, Medicine and Sciences. It is the most direct private-sector analog to PMU in terms of mission, accreditation model (NCAAA-aligned), and target student segment.
• Prince Sultan University: Prince Sultan University is a Riyadh-based private university offering English-medium programs across Engineering, Business Administration, and Computer Science. It is one of the closest direct competitors to PMU in the Saudi private-university market, with similar credit-hour structure and international affiliations.
• American University of Sharjah (AUS): AUS is a leading English-medium, North American-model private university in the UAE offering undergraduate and graduate programs across Engineering, Business, Architecture and Sciences. It is a close functional analog to PMU in terms of pedagogical model, student-recruitment footprint, and competitive positioning as a top-tier regional private university.

Broad incumbents

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST): KAUST is the Saudi national flagship graduate-research university funded as an independent endowment by the Saudi government. While it operates at a much larger scale and budget, KAUST competes with PMU for top Saudi STEM students, international faculty, and Saudi government research-grant allocation, particularly for AI, energy and decarbonization research.
• King Saud University (KSU): KSU is the largest and oldest public university in Saudi Arabia, headquartered in Riyadh with a wide range of graduate and undergraduate programs. As the dominant Saudi higher-education incumbent, KSU sets the national benchmark for rankings, research output, and employer-recruiter flow that PMU must benchmark against.
• American University of Beirut (AUB): AUB is the oldest and most prestigious English-medium American-model university in the Middle East, with extensive graduate programs and research output. While geographically distant, AUB sets the gold standard for the type of institution PMU aspires to emulate (American model, regional brand, research centers).

Regional players

• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU): IAU is a public Saudi university also located in Dammam in the Eastern Province, with large faculties of Engineering, Medicine, Business, and Sciences. It competes with PMU directly for Eastern Province students and faculty at a lower tuition position but with public-university pricing advantage.
• University of Bahrain: University of Bahrain is the primary public university of Bahrain, a Gulf neighbor serving similar GCC student demographics. It competes for international-student enrollment in the same regional education market as PMU and shares the English-medium instruction model.
• German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech): GUtech is a private Omani university affiliated with RWTH Aachen, offering English-medium engineering, business and architecture programs. It is comparable to PMU as a smaller, English-medium, internationally-affiliated private university in a neighboring GCC market with a similar student target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pmuofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/pmuofficial

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University