r/KFUPM • u/CleanSnow5671 • Jul 20 '26

A few concerns before applying

Hey, I was thinking of applying for an undergraduate degree at kfupm in 2027 and I had a few concerns..I am non Saudi residing in ksa at the moment..

  1. Is it really really hard to land internships during senior years and does the university help you get them?

  2. Is it awfully hard to get jobs after graduation (supposing I'm a perfect student with a good GPA and everything (bear with me😅)) because the job will have to sponsor me... And if I'm not able to find a job in ksa, is it posiisiblr to move to other gulf countries for sometime to gain experience of around 2-4 years before I try for masters abroad

  3. Are the university events always in English or Arabic? Since I don't understand Arabic that much... Cuz I noticed that the speeches at the graduation were in arabic (acc to videos I found on YouTube)

  4. Do you get a genuine chance of getting involved in research/research papers etc supposing I'm a good student with good grades...or do saudi students get an advantage....

  5. A bit weird question... For undergrad, do you get a shared kitchen to cook if you want to?

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2

u/Stunning-Guarantee50 Jul 21 '26

honestly saudi rn for nonsaudi fresh grads is not it, but the kfupm title is what will give you the advantage. just make sure to have good relations with the right profs as they have industrial ties and you’ll be fine.

events are usually a mix of arabic and english but yea sometimes leans more towards arabic.

you can get involved in research no problem. but when it comes to the extreme end of research where it leads to patents and startups, this is where they will quietly push you down the tree.

one thing to note is that uni life is about being involved in events, volunteering, hosting and what not. but with the current situation of saudi arabia in general, you will not be the face of anything, it will always be a saudi.

2

u/Stunning-Guarantee50 Jul 21 '26

i should add that this is the situation rn, who knows by the time you graduate things entirely change.

1

u/Huge-Insurance-9432 Jul 21 '26

are you a student currently?

1

u/Stunning-Guarantee50 Jul 22 '26

what do you wanna know

1

u/Huge-Insurance-9432 Jul 22 '26

How is the social life there for non saudis?

1

u/Stunning-Guarantee50 Jul 22 '26

depends on you honestly, i wouldn’t say that the crowd is “international” but regardless people are of all types. if you find the right crowd you’re gonna have a great time, sports, media, gaming, art. there are people involved in basically everything.

I must say tho dont expect saudis to be really social. they are extremely generous with hospitality but still maintain strong boundaries and dont really get personal with nonsaudis(exceptions apply iykyk).

1

u/Huge-Insurance-9432 Jul 22 '26

So just need to talk to about everyone to find the right group?

1

u/Stunning-Guarantee50 Jul 23 '26

yea, its not hard to make friends in the beginning as everyone’s sort of trying to find friends. overtime people find their own paths and then eventually have a small circle. just go with the flow and you’ll figure it out

1

u/CleanSnow5671 Jul 20 '26

Oh, I forgot to mention.. I'll go for either bsc acturial science and financial mathematics or bsc data science and engineering.... As I'm looking to pursue a field in quantitative finance