Shaqra University

What Shaqra University does

Shaqra University (جامعة شقراء) is a public Saudi government university established in 2009 by Royal Decree No. 7305/M B and operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It delivers higher education across 14 colleges and 55 administrative departments through a multi-campus footprint spanning four governorates in the Riyadh Region — Shaqra (headquarters), Dawadmi, Al-Quwayiyah, and Afif — serving Saudi citizens free of tuition alongside a smaller cohort of international students recruited through the Study in Saudi platform. The current President is Dr. Ali bin Mohammed Al-Khalaf Al-Seif (علي بن محمد الخلف السيف), and the institution employs approximately 1,255 faculty and staff.

The university operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem managed by the Deanship of E-Learning and Digital Transformation, comprising more than a dozen integrated platforms including the Academic Portal (EduGate), Self-Service System, Blackboard LMS, Ma'ak (service requests), Ameen (council and committee meetings), Muraslat (correspondence), Qodorat (faculty transfers), Tawasul (communications), Scientific Research Platform, Data Update Portal, Student Transportation Portal, and an Open Data Portal with a public Swagger API. These systems are wired to national digital identity infrastructure — Nafath, Tawakkalna, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) — and the university is registered with the Digital Government Authority. Specialized research includes the Prince Faisal bin Bandar AI Chair for Smart Cities, under the patronage of the Riyadh Governor, and a peer-reviewed computing and IT journal (JSUCIT). Recent recognitions include first-time entry into the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2026, a Silver Medal at the SIFAH International Conference, and conditional programmatic accreditation from NCAAA for the Early Childhood Education program until April 2028.

The business model is government-funded rather than commercial: the primary revenue stream is the Ministry of Education budget allocation, supplemented by tuition from international students, nominal service fees, and revenue from an internal Property, Investment and Endowments Management department. There are no private equity backers, subsidiaries, or external funding rounds; the institution is wholly state-owned. Customer concentration is therefore effectively single-payer (the Saudi state), with intake and accreditation flows routed entirely through national platforms (uap.sa, studyinsaudi.moe.gov.sa, NCAAA).

Name

Shaqra University

Legal name

Shaqra University (جامعة شقراء)

Website

https://su.edu.sa

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shaqra University is a public Saudi government university operating 14 colleges across four governorates (Shaqra, Dawadmi, Al-Quwayiyah, Afif), delivering free higher education to Saudi citizens and select international students through a digital ecosystem of 12+ integrated platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shagra

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary revenue from Saudi Arabian government budget allocation through Ministry of Education for public university operations
2. Tuition and Fees: Some programs and services may have associated fees; international students may pay tuition through Study in Saudi platform
3. Endowments and Investments: University manages Property, Investment and Endowments Management department for revenue generation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shaqra University is a Saudi public government university delivering higher education and scientific research across 14 colleges spanning health sciences, engineering, computing, education, business administration, sharia and law. Instruction is delivered through four campuses located in Shaqra, Dawadmi, Al-Quwayiyah, and Afif governorates, supported by an integrated digital ecosystem of academic, administrative, and research platforms.

Product overview

Shaqra University operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem consisting of multiple interconnected platforms and services managed by the Deanship of E-Learning and Digital Transformation. The core systems include the Academic Portal (edugate) for academic management, the Self-Service System for employee transactions, the Ma'ak System for technical support and service requests, the Ameen Platform for councils and committees management, the Muraslat System for correspondence, the Qodorat Platform for faculty transfers, the Tawasul System for communication, the Scientific Research Platform for research management, the Student Transportation Portal (trast) for transport services, and the Data Update Portal for employee data management. Additional services include Blackboard LMS, university email, and the Open Data Portal. All platforms offer 100% digitization with most services available 24/7, providing comprehensive coverage of academic, administrative, and research functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (14 Colleges) Bachelor's degree programs offered across 14 colleges spanning Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering, Computing and Information Technology, Applied Medical Sciences, Science and Humanities, Sharia and Law, Education, and Business Administration, available to Saudi citizens and admitted through the national Unified Admission Platform.
• Health Sciences Programs (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Applied Medical Sciences) Health-focused undergraduate and applied medical sciences programs offered at Shaqra, Dawadmi, and Al-Quwayiyah campuses, including medicine and clinical training programs aligned with Al-Dawadmi General Hospital collaboration.
• Engineering and Computing Programs College of Engineering in Dawadmi and College of Computing and Information Technology in Shaqra, offering programs in engineering disciplines and computing/IT supported by the JSUCIT research journal.
• Sharia, Law, Business, and Education Programs Bachelor's programs in Sharia and Law, Education (including Early Childhood Education holding conditional accreditation until April 2028), and Business Administration at Shaqra and Afif campuses.
• Scientific Research Support and Funding Research services including ethical approval submission, research funding (high quality and open source), and the Prince Faisal AI Chair for Smart Cities research program, supporting faculty researchers via the Deanship of Research and Entrepreneurship.
• Library and Digital Library Services Library services including 263,077 books and references, electronic library catalog, and access to the Saudi Digital Library (sdl.edu.sa) for students and faculty.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% digitization of all electronic services with instant or 1-5 business day completion times
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Education Evaluation Commission (NCAAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational authority for academic accreditation providing programmatic accreditation for university programs including conditional accreditation for Early Childhood Education until April 2028
• Saudi Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary regulatory authority overseeing all Saudi higher education institutions, managing national admission platforms and international student recruitment
• National Unified Admission PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational electronic portal enabling students to apply to all Saudi public universities from a single platform
• Digital Government AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered under number 20240916146; regulates digital government services and cybersecurity standards
• Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational authority governing AI and data policies; provides open data platform integration
• Al-Dawadmi General HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative health awareness events and community health programs including diabetes screening
• Muz'el Community Development AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hiking program and community engagement activities
• Saudi Digital LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to digital library resources and electronic databases
• Vision 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi Arabia's national transformation program; university aligns with vision objectives and displays Vision 2030 branding

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Alfaisal University: Private Saudi university in Riyadh with selective admissions and tuition-based revenue. Comparable as a higher-education institution operating in Saudi Arabia, but differs sharply in funding model (private tuition vs. state budget) and student profile.

Direct peers

• University of Hail: Saudi regional public university in Hail province. Similar in scale, multi-college footprint, and government-funded operating model serving a non-major-metro region.
• Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University: Largest Islamic-focused public university in Saudi Arabia. Comparable because Shaqra operates a College of Sharia and Law, and both share the religious-education orientation plus public-sector delivery model.
• Qassim University: Saudi regional public university with multi-campus structure serving the Qassim region. Most structurally comparable peer to Shaqra: similar multi-college footprint, government-funded model, and regional student catchments.
• Jazan University: Saudi regional public university serving the Jazan region with distributed colleges. Comparable in regional public-university positioning, multi-campus structure, and reliance on national admission platforms.
• Najran University: Saudi regional public university in Najran with multiple colleges. Comparable by regional public-university status, multi-college structure, and dependence on national admission systems.
• Taif University: Saudi regional public university serving the Taif governorate with multiple colleges. Closely comparable in scale, multi-college structure, and government-funded admissions model.
• Al-Baha University: Smaller Saudi regional public university in Al-Baha with multiple colleges. Closely comparable by size, multi-college profile, and regional-catchment operating model.

Broad incumbents

• King Saud University: Largest and oldest Saudi public research university in Riyadh. Comparable as a public Saudi university serving the same national admissions funnel, but materially larger and more established; serves as the benchmark incumbent.
• King Abdulaziz University: Major Saudi public research university in Jeddah with broad program portfolio. Comparable as a large Saudi public university competing for the same government-funded students, but with stronger global brand and scale.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaqra-university
• Xx.com/shaqrauni
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShaqraKSU

Compliance2 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 Shaqra University