Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Host institutions welcome scholars to conduct research, teach undergraduate or graduate courses, carry out a combination of teaching and research activities, or carry out a professional project. Additional activities may include conducting seminars for advanced students or faculty, consulting on curricula, supervising theses, advising students on research, and speaking to selected Saudi audiences of relevant backgrounds. Teaching as a component of the exchange, where appropriate, is highly encouraged, but not required. Post may also suggest that scholars engage in social media outreach to discuss their programs in Saudi Arabia and do domestic travel to institutions in various areas of the country to deliver lectures and presentations.
There are no requirements for a teaching/research ratio, as this depends on the interests of, and agreement between, the scholar and the host institution. However, the applicant should plan to engage in the university community of the host institution. In addition to the research caseload, the scholar should plan to supervise students, give lectures, work with student clubs where applicable, and engage with other faculty within his or her host institution department. The scholar is also encouraged to establish institutional collaborations between U.S. institutions and the host institution.
For teaching grants, there are no requirements for teaching load, but the most common in-classroom teaching load is two to 20 hours per week, in addition to significant engagement outside of the classroom.
More information about application requirements, including project proposals, is available here.
The Professional Project activity provides professionals and artists in various fields the opportunity to interact with relevant organizations to further their career goals. Professional Projects may include visits to organizations in the applicant's field, practical experience in day-to-day operations, public lectures, artist residencies, or other appropriate professional activities.
In the Central Region:
In the Western Region:
Currently not allowed due to security situation in nearby Yemen, but could possibly be considered should things improve:
In the Eastern Province:
Note: Applicant may propose an appropriate host institution beyond those listed above, subject to U.S. Embassy Riyadh’s approval.
Three to 10 months
Academic terms are August through June. Host institution dates may vary up to two weeks, and the calendar may be adjusted around the Islamic calendar and holidays. One-semester awards are possible. Grants must be completed between September 2026 and June 2027.
Applicants must make a strong case for why the Flex option is required for their project. Generally, Flex grants should be used to for research projects that observe behavior or participation rates over time or are seasonal in nature (festivals, religious activities). Flex grants may also be used to complete teaching or combined teaching/research activities that require follow-up visits. Flex applicants should submit possible courses for consideration and/or cite all research locations in their applications.
The Flex Award is designed for scholars who require multiple visits to the host country. This option allows grants to be conducted over two or three short segments. Applicants must select Flex in the application form, and clearly describe their plans for Flex in their project statement, including a project timeline. Flex grantees may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host-country academic community.
All academic disciplines.
During their grant period, Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the Middle East and North Africa region may apply for a short-term regional travel grant (three to fourteen days) for participation in a variety of activities including faculty and student lectures, graduate or faculty seminars, curriculum development, public lectures, panel presentations, needs assessment, conferences, or some combination thereof. Scholars who apply for the Flex award are ineligible for the Regional Travel Program.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
A letter of invitation from an accredited institution of higher education, think tank, research center, or government agency in Saudi Arabia is required. Interested applicants are encouraged to establish contact with potential host institutions as early as possible, to request a letter of invitation. Faculty and/or administrators in Saudi Arabia may be difficult to reach from June through August.
Applicants must secure the invitation letter at least three/four months before the program start day. This will give enough time to coordinate with the Ministry of Education (MoE) or issue a diplomatic note to expedite the process. The main challenge is in the extensive timeline required by the MoE to complete background checks before granting final approval to host a U.S. scholar. Even when applicants obtain the invitation letter early, the delay often continues. Most public universities in Saudi Arabia lack the authority to independently host international scholars and must await final approval from the MoE.
Each candidate is responsible for the arrangement of their institutional affiliations, including the finalization of the proposed activity and activity dates. However, all host affiliations and research proposals must be approved by the Government of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, applicants should be sure to coordinate closely and early with a prospective host institution for such clearance, be prepared to wait for this further approval after arranging for affiliation with a host institution directly, and may need to coordinate with the U.S. Embassy on the process. This Government approval is the basis on which the Government of Saudi Arabia may also issue authorization for a Scholar applicant to apply for a visa to conduct his or her Fulbright program in Saudi Arabia.
Most teaching in undergraduate courses in science and technology, and many subjects at the graduate level, is in English; proficiency in another language for these subjects is not necessary. For research grants, English language proficiency is usually sufficient to complete the research project. Applicants must demonstrate the feasibility of conducting research in English in the project proposal, where applicable. Some knowledge of Arabic is very useful in daily life in Saudi Arabia, but is not a requirement for program eligibility.
Helpful Links:
Blog posts from previous Fulbright scholars to Saudi Arabia:
$2,375 for relocation, in-transit, and excess baggage fees.
Plus round-trip, economy-class, international travel arranged by travel agent selected by IIE.
For Flex grants: round trip travel will be included for each segment of the grant. The relocation, in-transit, and excess baggage allowance will be divided by number of segments.
$950 books and educational materials allowance for teaching and teaching/research grants; should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure.
$2,000 research allowance for research-only grants.
Additional living (monthly) allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependents. These amounts range from $200/month to $400/month.
Round-trip, economy-class, international travel is arranged by travel agent selected by IIE, for up to two dependents. Dependent travel will not be provided for Flex grants.
Dependent tuition allowance for dependents in grades K-12 is provided on a reimbursement basis upon submission of reciepts, and based on the availability of funds. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only.
Dependents must accompany the grantee for at least 80% of the period abroad and a minimum of one semester in order to qualify for additional dependent benefits. Dependent benefits are not provided to Flex grantees.
Up to $600 per month or $6000 per 10-month grant, transportation allowance upon submission of receipts. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of transportation and fees only.
During their grant period, Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the Middle East and North Africa region may apply for a short-term regional travel grant (three to fourteen days) for participation in a variety of activities including faculty and student lectures, graduate or faculty seminars, curriculum development, public lectures, panel presentations, needs assessment, conferences, or some combination thereof. Scholars who apply for the Flex award are ineligible for the Regional Travel Program.
Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only or Professional Project grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.
Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
The ultimate goal of the Fulbright program in Saudi Arabia is to increase mutual understanding between the people of Saudi Arabia and the United States, and to build institutional partnerships. Saudi Arabia has a vibrant, youthful majority, with about 51 percent of the population under the age of 25. The Government of Saudi Arabia invests significantly in youth and educational programs inside and outside the country. Additionally, Saudi Arabia regards the United States as the top destination for high quality education and training. Saudi Arabia ranks tenth of all nations sending students to study in the United States. Saudi Arabia is a conservative country and Fulbright scholars should be aware of social norms, local cultural traditions, and host institution regulations. Public Affairs Offices of the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia work closely with local authorities and Ministries to ensure all necessary approvals are received and stand ready to support scholars with any issue they might encounter.
Dr. Youssef Sari did his research at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ruba Mohammed did her research at King Abdulaziz university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Housing, local transportation, visa sponsorship, and other logistics are typically arranged through the host institution. The U.S. Embassy/Consulate will provide additional support services related to the professional aspects of the Fulbright grant (as needed), and will provide orientation to scholars upon arrival to Saudi Arabia.