IDB-KAUST Joint PhD Scholarship Program

Benefits & funding

• Four years of full-time PhD study at KAUST, funded jointly by KAUST and IsDB
• KAUST states the award is fully funded under the university’s rules and procedures for the eligible duration of the study program
• KAUST’s standard support for funded graduate students covers full tuition and bench fees, worth up to USD 35,000 per year
• Living stipend for PhD students of USD 25,000 to USD 30,000 per year, set by qualifications and academic progress
• Campus accommodation: shared housing for single students, a two-bedroom unit for married students; upgrades cost extra
• Health insurance for the student and eligible dependents living on campus
• Visa, relocation, and travel costs for arrival and for the return home after graduation
• Five scholarships are awarded each year

Eligibility

• Citizenship of an Islamic Development Bank member country; the bank currently has 57 member countries
• Age not exceeding 35 years
• Full-time employment at an academic, research, or development institute in the applicant’s home country, plus a nomination from that institution
• A master’s degree relevant to the chosen KAUST program, from a recognized higher education institution
• KAUST admission standard: minimum GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, with 90 percent of admitted applicants above 3.3 and 75 percent above 3.5
• English proficiency for KAUST admission: IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 per section, TOEFL iBT 81 with 17 per section, PTE Academic 62 with 59 per section, or Cambridge 176 with 169 per section; waived for degrees earned through in-person study in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand
• The candidate must meet the criteria and procedures of the IsDB Merit Scholarship Program
• A firm admission offer from a KAUST PhD program is required

Application process

1. 1
   Apply for admission to a KAUST PhD program through the KAUST admissions portal, with official transcripts and English translations, a CV, a statement of purpose of about 750 words, contact details for three referees, a passport or national ID copy, and English test scores.
2. 2
   Obtain a firm PhD admission offer from KAUST.
3. 3
   Secure a nomination from the academic, research, or development institution that employs the candidate at home.
4. 4
   Apply to the Islamic Development Bank under the Merit Scholarship Program, following the criteria and procedures of the bank’s current call.
5. 5
   Send scholarship questions to scholar@isdb.org and admission questions to admissions@kaust.edu.sa.

Program timeline

1. KAUST and IsDB establish the joint scholarship

   2012

2. KAUST applications open for 2026 entry

   Aug 15, 2025

3. KAUST application deadline for Fall 2026 entry (international applicants; May 14, 2026 for Saudi students)

   May 7, 2026

4. Fall 2026 semester starts at KAUST

   Aug 30, 2026

5. mid-August 2026

   KAUST applications open for 2027 entry

6. IsDB publishes its own scholarship call dates each cycle; the KAUST program page lists no separate scholarship deadline