Gender Equality
Women’s empowerment and equal opportunities remain key objectives of KFUPM’s transformation. The university continues to promote gender equality among its students, faculty, and staff in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Women in Education
Since approving the admission of female students to graduate programs in 2018 and welcoming them into undergraduate programs in 2021, KFUPM has continued to expand and strengthen women’s participation in undergraduate and graduate education. The first cohort of about 100 female graduate students, selected from more than 600 applicants, began their studies in September 2019. Women now represent 40% of STEM enrollment and 50% of engineering admissions, reflecting broader social and institutional progress across the Kingdom.
On May 21, 2026, KFUPM held its Class 56 graduation ceremony under the patronage of HRH Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province. The ceremony marked a historic milestone in the university’s more than six-decade history as it celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of female bachelor’s students.
Infrastructure for Inclusion
Widening women’s participation requires physical capacity as well as policy. By 2026 KFUPM had completed 12 new female student housing buildings providing approximately 2,040 student places across some 39,600 m² of floor area, each building offering around 85 rooms. The development gives female students safe, high-quality residential, recreational and support environments on campus, and is designed with advanced building controls, LED lighting and sensor-operated water fixtures. Campus Sustainability Report 2025–2026.
Under KFUPM’s strategic leadership, the university, in partnership with the Women and Energy Association, launched the SANA Program, a comprehensive initiative designed to empower women across various sectors, particularly the energy industry. The program’s first stage, held on campus in January 2026, was a three-day energy bootcamp that brought together more than 80 students from KFUPM’s first female graduating cohort to prepare them for impactful roles in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
Women in Leadership
KFUPM continues to support women’s participation in academic, administrative, and leadership positions by providing opportunities for professional growth and career advancement. In 2018, the university opened faculty positions at all academic ranks to women, aiming not only to recruit female faculty but also to prepare women leaders. It has also removed all restrictions on female employment across its workplaces, and women have been appointed to senior roles, including Director of Public Relations, Director of Student Affairs, Director of Talent Development, and Advisor to the President.
