KSU_Press دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر

What KSU_Press دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر does

KSU Press is the publishing arm of King Saud University and operates as Saudi Arabia's first university-based publishing house, established in 2013. The press is wholly owned by King Saud University, a state-funded institution, and produces academic, scientific, and literary publications spanning more than 30 subject categories. To date it has released over 1,680 titles, alongside a portfolio of peer-reviewed scientific journals and open-access publications, positioning it as a significant contributor to Arabic-language academic content production in the region.

The business operates a hybrid publishing model that combines traditional print book sales with subscription-based scientific journals and open-access distribution. Books are priced in the 20–63 SAR range, a low price band that signals accessibility-driven, education-focused positioning rather than premium commercial publishing. Distribution is extended through digital partnerships with platforms including Semanoor, Ksoob, and Kanashat Al-Waraq, which function as the primary customer-facing channels for both institutional and individual readers. The customer base is composed primarily of Saudi academic institutions, university libraries, researchers, students, and broader Arabic-reading scholarly audiences in the Middle East. As a state-affiliated entity, revenue is supplemented by university funding rather than relying solely on commercial sales.

Recent activity includes the receipt of the King Salman Global Center for Arabic Language Award, which functions as third-party validation of the press's role in Arabic scholarship. The press does not appear to have engaged in M&A, external fundraising, or significant leadership changes based on available information; its strategic posture is best characterized as steady, mission-driven expansion of its publishing portfolio within the academic and government-aligned ecosystem.

Name

KSU_Press دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر

Legal name

King Saud University Press (دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر)

Website

https://ksupress.ksu.edu.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KSU Press is the publishing arm of King Saud University and Saudi Arabia's first university publishing house, producing academic books, scientific journals, and open-access publications primarily for Saudi and Middle Eastern scholarly audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Academic publishing
• Scientific journals
• University press
• Scholarly books
• Open access publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

King Saud University Riyadh, Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of academic and scientific books across 30+ categories including medicine, sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Books are sold in both print and digital formats.
2. Scientific Journal Publishing: Publishing of peer-reviewed scientific journals across multiple disciplines through the KSU Direct platform (direct.ksu.edu.sa)
3. Open Access Publications: Open access publishing services for books and journals supporting academic research dissemination

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KSU Press (King Saud University Press) is Saudi Arabia's first university publishing house, established by King Saud University to publish academic and scientific books across 30+ disciplines, host peer-reviewed scientific journals through the KSU Direct platform (direct.ksu.edu.sa), and provide open access publishing resources. The press distributes both print and digital books through its own e-commerce website, partner digital platforms (Semanoor, Ksoob, Kunashat Al-Waraq), and a bookseller network across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, with catalog spanning 1,680+ publications.

Product overview

KSU Press (دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر) is Saudi Arabia's first university publishing house, operating as a comprehensive academic publishing platform that produces print and digital books, hosts scientific journals, and provides open access resources. The core offerings include the Scientific Journals Platform (direct.ksu.edu.sa) hosting over 16 peer-reviewed journals across multiple disciplines, the main Books Catalog with 1,680+ titles spanning 30+ subject categories, and digital distribution through platforms like Semanoor, Kasoob, and Kunashat Al-Waraq. Additional offerings include book series, textbooks, open access publications, podcasts, and curated collections. The publishing house focuses on Arabic-language academic content supporting Saudi Vision 2030 educational objectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• منصة المجلات العلمية (Scientific Journals Platform / KSU Direct) An online platform that hosts multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals across numerous academic disciplines including law, political science, Islamic studies, tourism, archaeology, sciences, administrative sciences, literature, linguistics, translation, educational sciences, agricultural sciences, engineering, architecture, computer science, sports sciences, and dental sciences. Targeted at researchers and academic institutions seeking peer-reviewed publication channels.
• Digital Book Platforms (Semanoor, Kasoob, Kunashat Al-Waraq) A collection of third-party digital distribution platforms (Semanoor/سمنانور, Kasoob/كسوب, and Kunashat Al-Waraq/كناشة الورق) that provide e-book access and digital publishing services for KSU Press's catalog of academic books, enabling online reading and digital purchase of titles.
• Print and Digital Books (إصدارات الكتب المطبوعة والرقمية) Academic and scientific book publications spanning 30+ disciplines including medicine, law, agriculture, arts, tourism, architecture, nursing, languages, translation, sports, business administration, computer science, education, pharmacy, applied medical sciences, sciences, engineering, geography, history, biographies, psychology, social sciences, agricultural engineering, environment, economics, religious studies, zoology, botany, biology, industry, and public administration. Sold in both print and digital formats through the press website and partner platforms.
• Open Access Resources (المصادر المفتوحة) Open access publishing initiative providing free public access to selected scientific books and journals, supporting academic research dissemination across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. Targeted at researchers, students, and the general public seeking unrestricted access to academic content.
• Academic Textbooks (المقررات الدراسية) Academic textbooks designed for university-level coursework across various disciplines, produced by KSU Press to support higher-education curricula in Saudi Arabia. Targeted at university students and faculty.

Named customers3 records

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SemanoorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital distribution partnership for e-books and digital content through Semanoor platform (www.semanoor.com.sa)
• KsoobcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital distribution partnership for digital books through Ksoob platform (kasoob.com)
• Kanashat Al-WaraqcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital distribution partnership through Kanashat Al-Waraq platform (kunashat-alwaraq.com)
• KSU Direct (Scientific Journals Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform for scientific journals hosting multiple peer-reviewed journals across disciplines including sciences, humanities, and applied sciences (direct.ksu.edu.sa)
• Masar Al-Tamyuz (Technology Excellence Company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit and partnership exploration for technology and information technology collaboration

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Kalimat Group: UAE-based Arabic-language book publisher focused on children's, young adult, and general interest titles. Comparable to KSU Press as a regional Arabic publisher though more consumer-oriented in focus.
• Obeikan Publishing: Saudi-based publisher of Arabic books and educational content. Closely comparable to KSU Press as a domestic Arabic-language publisher operating in the Saudi market with similar product categories.

Broad incumbents

• Elsevier: Global leader in scientific and medical journal publishing, also producing books and reference works. Comparable to KSU Press's journal portfolio in medical, scientific, and applied disciplines.
• Springer Nature: One of the largest global academic publishers, producing journals, books, and open access content across all major disciplines. Overlaps with KSU Press in peer-reviewed journals and scholarly monographs but at vastly larger international scale.
• Wiley: Major academic and scholarly publisher producing journals, books, and reference works across sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Comparable to KSU Press in multi-disciplinary scholarly publishing.
• Taylor & Francis: Large international academic publisher of journals and books, with significant presence in social sciences and humanities. Comparable to KSU Press's journal hosting across multiple academic categories.

Direct peers

• Cambridge University Press: Cambridge University's publishing arm producing academic books, peer-reviewed journals, and educational materials. Closely aligned with KSU Press in structure (university press) and product mix across disciplines.
• Oxford University Press: A leading global university press publishing scholarly monographs, journals, and textbooks. Directly comparable to KSU Press in business model (university-affiliated academic publishing) and product type, though operating at vastly larger global scale.

Emerging players

• MDPI: Open access academic publisher with a large portfolio of peer-reviewed journals across disciplines. Comparable to KSU Press's open access journal initiatives and multi-disciplinary approach.
• Hindawi (an Elsevier imprint): Cairo-based open access academic publisher with strong Arabic-region authorship and a portfolio of peer-reviewed journals. Directly comparable to KSU Press's journal and open access publishing initiatives, particularly for Arabic-speaking researchers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ksupress_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ksu-press-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83-%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 KSU_Press دار جامعة الملك سعود للنشر