How CUA evaluates feasibility for private higher education
How CUA evaluates feasibility for private higher education
Common Documents for a Private HEI Feasibility and Licensing File
- General Secretariat’s designated establishment-request form
- Legal-entity evidence: commercial register, legal-entity formation document, non-profit licence, or Ministry of Investment approval for a foreign investor, as applicable
- Feasibility study demonstrating the viability of establishment; for a new local private HEI, approved by a Saudi-licensed consulting office
- Evidence of financial solvency and ability to establish and operate
- HEI name and location
- Statement of colleges, academic departments, and specialisations
- General Secretariat’s designated licensing-request form
- Certificate from an engineering agency accepted by the General Secretariat, evidencing compliance of facilities, equipment, and HEI entities
- International branch-campus dossier: university information, feasibility study, Basic Statute, academic structure and offerings, and planned start date
- Designated new-programme request including approved study plan and Board of Trustees decision
Official Route-Dependent Sequence for Preparing the Feasibility and Licensing File
Select the application route
Establish whether the proposal is for a new local HEI, a local branch, an international branch campus, or a new programme. CUA assigns a different feasibility framework to each. [2, pp. 2, 5]
Check the applicable applicant category
Test the published Category A or B conditions against the selected route. Do not claim an exemption unless the stated conditions are met; no exemptions are set out for a new-programme addition. [2, p. 4]
Build the route-specific study
Address the applicable framework domains and every requirement marked required or, where relevant, if applicable. All critical requirements must be met. [2, pp. 5–7]
Assemble the establishment or branch dossier
A new local HEI needs the legal form, solvency evidence, name and location, and academic offerings alongside the study. An international branch campus has its own university-information and Basic Statute documentation. [3, Art. 4] [2, p. 3]
Submit the establishment or designated request
The establishment application goes to the General Secretariat using its approved form. Other route-specific applications use the designated form approved by the General Secretariat. [3, Art. 4] [4, Art. 3]
Apply for the licence after establishment approval
The owner then submits the licensing application, including the designated form and accepted engineering certificate. The HEI may not operate before the licence is issued. [3, Art. 7] [4, Art. 4]
Address programme addition or renewal where applicable
A new programme requires the designated request, approved study plan, and Board decision. An HEI licence is valid for five years and renewal is requested at least 90 days before expiry. [4, Arts. 5 and 12]
Guide Table
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New local private university or college | Market and competition; resources; quality and accreditation; financial analysis; implementation | The statute places a feasibility study approved by a Saudi-licensed consulting office in the establishment application. [3, Art. 4] [1, pp. 2–14] |
| New branch of an existing local private HEI | Market and competition; resources; financial analysis; implementation | Category A may have the published labour-market and simplified financial exemptions if its stated conditions are met. [2, p. 4] [1, pp. 16–28] |
| New international branch campus | Market and competition; resources; quality and accreditation; financial analysis; implementation | CUA’s guide identifies a distinct university-information, feasibility, Basic Statute, academic-offering, and planned-start dossier. [2, p. 3] [1, pp. 30–43] |
| Addition of a new programme to a licence | Product offering; market and competition; resources; quality and accreditation; financial analysis; implementation | The guide provides no Category A exemptions for this route; the executive rules require the designated request, study-plan approval, and Board decision. [2, p. 4] [4, Art. 12] |
| Critical requirements | Sub-domains labelled “Critical” in the appendix tables | These are pass/fail; failure in any critical requirement produces automatic disqualification. [2, p. 6] |
| Additional requirements | Comprehensiveness, transparency, and evidence-based justification | The applicable additional requirements are scored 0–2 and must achieve an aggregate score of at least 70%. [2, pp. 6–7] |
Frequently Asked Questions
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.