King Saud University

Royal Decree no M/11 of 1967 enforced the Statute of the University of Riyadh (currently King Saud University), rescinding all earlier statutes, bylaws, and regulations. Of the main landmarks of the new Statute is the creation of the Higher Council of the University as one of its administrative powers. The membership of the new council includes two active or inactive university Presidents, two faculty members who had assumed such positions outside the country, or two native leading intellectuals.

The Higher Council of the University is the dominant power over the university affairs: it draws out policies, issues decisions to implement and achieve the objectives of the university (especially those pertaining to the creation of new colleges and departments), proposes budgets, and systems of faculty salaries, annuities, and financial awards.

Royal Decree no M/6 of 1972 superseded the Statute of 1967. With the new Statute, the membership of the Higher Council of the University includes five active or inactive university Presidents, or native leading intellectuals. To the council are also added the University Secretary General and two other non-university members. Again, the Statute dictates the creation of an Academic Council overlooking scholarly research and studies. The Higher Council of the University issues the bylaws governing the number of the Academic Council's members, responsibilities, and powers.

These decrees were issued in response to the growing and widening needs of the university as the establishment of new colleges started. Between 1958 and 1960, three colleges were established: the College of Sciences, College of Business (now the College of Public Administration) and the College of Pharmacy. In 1961/1962 women were first admitted into the College of Arts and the College of Public Administration.

Five years later the College of Agriculture was established. In the same year the College of Engineering and College of Education, having been under the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the UNESCO, were annexed to the University. A year later (1969/1970) the College of Medicine opened. In 1974/1975 the Arabic Language Institute was inaugurated to serve non-Arabic speakers. At this time deanships of Admission and Registration, Students Affairs, Libraries were also established. Again, a year later (1976) the College of Dentistry and the College of Applied Medical Sciences were added to the Riyadh campus, while launching at the same time the Abha-based campus with the College of Education. In 1977, the Graduate College assumed its office in supervising and organizing all graduate programs in the various departments of the University.

At Abha, the College of Medicine was established according to Royal Order no. 3/M/380 of 1979 and was added to the University according to Royal Directive no. 15128 of 29 June 1400H. Formal study there started in the academic year of 1980/1981.

In 1980 another branch of the University opened at Qassim with three colleges: Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Economics and Administration. Formal study started in 1980/1981 academic year.[11]

King Saud University entrance

In 1981, celebrating its 25th anniversary, the University of Riyadh went back to its original name of King Saud University at the orders of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz. In that year, too, the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education replaced the Center for Community Service, and King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) was formally opened.[9]

Two years later (1983) two other colleges were created: the College of Computer and Information Science Sciences and the College of Architecture and Planning.[12] Later, in 1990, the Institute of Languages and Translation was established to be turned four years later into the full-fledged College of Languages and Translation.[13]

In 1993, the Royal ratification of the System of the Council of Higher Education and Universities was issued dictating that each university form its own Council which attends to its academic, administrative, and financial affairs, and carries out its general policy.

In 1996, the Council of Higher Education issued its decision no. 1282/A approving the creation of the Center for Consulting and Research which was renamed King Abdullah Center for Consulting and Research.

In 1997, Royal Decree no. 33 dictated the creation of a King Saud University Community College in Jazan, as well as the establishment of the College of Sciences at the Qassim campus.[9]

In 1998, Royal Order no. 7/78/M of 11 March 1419 decreed that King Khalid University be created in the south. The branches of Imam University and of King Saud University consequently formed the new university. In the same year, after the issuance of the unified regulations for Graduate Studies at Saudi universities, the Graduate College became the Deanship of Graduate Studies, and the Deanship of Academic Research was established in accordance with the dictates of the System of Academic Research issued that year.[14]

In 2000, the College of Medicine was established at the Qassim campus, and the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education was turned into the College of Applied Studies and Community Service.[15]

In 2001, the Community College in Riyadh was inaugurated according to the Cabinet Council no. 73.[16] During the academic year of 2002/2003 the College of Science at Al-Jouf was established.[17] That same year the College of Engineering was opened at the Qassim campus, and the creation of community colleges at Al-Majma’ah, Al-Aflaj, and Al-Qurayat was approved.[18]

Beginning with the academic year 2003/2004 the Qassim campus became an independent university. On 2003, the Council of Higher Education approved the promotion of the Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, into the College of Nursing.[11]

The following individuals have served as the rectors of the university since its inception:[19]

The King Salman Central library is housed in a seven-floor building, with an area of 51,400 square metres (553,000 sq ft) and more than 4,000 seats, has collections of books, periodicals, manuscripts, government publications, academic theses, dissertations, press clippings, audio-visual and electronic media.[20]

The first university Hospital was King Abdulaziz University Hospital which was founded in 1956 but only got affiliated to the college in 1976. This facility now specializes in ENT and ophthalmology. These two departments are among the largest in the Middle East in these specialties. They host skilled physicians in all subspecialties of ENT and ophthalmology as well as world class researchers. In addition, it contains some general medical and pediatric services as well as the university diabetes center. All care is free of charge for all King Saud University staff and students. The hospital provides primary and secondary care services for Saudi patients from Northern Riyadh area. It also provides tertiary care services to all Saudi citizens on a referral basis.

In 1982, a dedicated university hospital was opened and was named King Khalid University Hospital. This facility is an 850-bed facility with all general and subspecialty medical services. It contains a special outpatient building, more than 20 operating rooms, and a fully equipped and staffed laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy services in addition to all other supporting services. The hospital provides primary and secondary care services for Saudi patients from Northern Riyadh area. It also provides tertiary care services to all Saudi citizens on referral bases. All care is free of charge for all King Saud University staff and students.

The Palm Mosque, (Jama’a Al-Nakheel)

In 1982, Dr. Basil Al Bayati won the 1st prize in the King Saud Competition to build the main mosque for the university. His design incorporated extensively the motif of the palm trunk, as used in the very first Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. It was highly praised and was even claimed to "mark the beginning of a new era, a new revival in Islamic architecture."[21] The interior calligraphy above the doors and in the mihrab was done by Ghani Alani,[22] the last of the Baghdad School of Calligraphy. He was a student of Hashem al-Khattat.[23] Ghani Alani taught Dr. Bayati whilst at the College of Engineering in Baghdad. The building was also nominated for the 1992 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

King Saud University Entrance Gate by Basil Al Bayati

As well as designing the mosque, Dr. Basil Al Bayati also designed the entrance gates to the university which are based upon the theme of faith and knowledge; two pillars of Islam that must be taken together, "Knowledge cannot do without faith nor can faith ignore knowledge for Islam calls always for faith and knowledge to run in parallel."[24] "The design consists of two books representing knowledge and faith. They have been so placed so that their pages are interlocked thus showing the close connection between faith and knowledge. Verses from the Quran on faith and knowledge are written in script on the cover of each book."[25]

The College of Science was established in 1958, and offers the following bachelor's degrees:

• Statistics
• Operations Research
• Geology
• Geophysics
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Zoology
• Botany
• Microbiology
• Mathematics
• Financial Mathematics
• Physics

This college was established in 1959 and comprises nine departments:[47]

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Health Administration
• Management
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing
• Public Administration
• Quantitative Analysis.

The College of Engineering was established as a joint project between the Saudi Ministry of Education and UNESCO in November 1962. This project lasted until 1969 when the College became an official part of King Saud University. The college now has seven departments:

• Petroleum Engineering (established in 1974)
• Chemical Engineering (established in 1974)
• Surveying Engineering (established in 1988)
• Civil Engineering (established in 1962)
• Industrial Engineering (established in 2002)
• Mechanical Engineering (established in 1962)
• Electrical Engineering (established in 1962)

The number of students of the college rose from 17 in 1962 to more than 4000 students in 2005. The Faculty members have grown from 4 to 210 (including lecturers and teaching assistants) in the same time span.

This College was initially established as a department in the College of Engineering in 1968. It was extended as a college in 1984 to include the department of "Urban Planning".

The College of Pharmacy was established in 1959, with a stated mission of "high-quality instruction and research" and currently has numerous teaching and research centers. There are five academic departments: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy and clinical pharmacy. There are two undergraduate entry-level pharmacy programs: Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a five-year program, and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.), a six-year program with a final year of internship.