Facts and Achievements •
King Abdulaziz University
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| King Abdulaziz University Location King Abdulaziz University is a public, multi-campus university dedicated to the service of the Western Region and its people. The main campus is in Jeddah with campuses in the cities of Tabuk, Rabigh, Al-Kamel, and Khulays, and four campuses in Jeddah. The Jeddah main campus is on the eastside of the downtown district, and it is a short distance from the circular highway. This strategic location ensures it easy access to the city. The campus covers 850 hectares. Historical Background King Abdulaziz University bears the name of the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Saud. A group of businessmen established it in 1967 as a private institution aiming to transmit knowledge and to address the need for higher education in the Western Region. Though they first conceived the idea in 1964, their dream became a reality when they met with King Faisal, the then crown prince and vice- president of the Ministerial Council, who endorsed the project and an executive committee was formed headed by King Faisal himself and the then Minister of Education Hassan Bin Abdullah Al-Sheik. It must also be noted the University was merged with the oldest and only existing college in Saudi Arabia at the time, the college of Shariah (Islamic Law) and Islamic Studies in Makkah which was established into serve as a beacon of Islamic sciences and jurisprudence. Early History of King Abdulaziz University Classes began in the academic year 196768-. The first year was a foundation year and 93 students enrolled (67 men and 30 women. The first academic year also witnessed the inauguration of the first academic faculty, the Faculty of Economics and Administration. The following year the second faculty inaugurated was the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in 1969. Recent History King Abdulaziz University became a public institution in 1973 by Ministerial decree. The College of Shari’a and the College of Higher Studies, both already firmly established in Makkah since 1949, were attached to the University by Ministerial decree. They were later attached to Um Al-Qurra University in Makkah after its official establishment. The University of Taibah in Madina was also a branch of KAU since its establishment until it became an independent institution in The University has witnessed tremendous quantitative and qualitative progress in enrollment and diversity of academic programs in both the social and natural sciences. It has grown from 98 students, with a single Faculty of Economics, to an enrollment of more than 49,000 candidates, with 24 Faculties, and more than 160 academic departments offering many diverse specializations. It is one of the most prestigious universities in Saudi Arabia with unique professional disciplines and specializations, such as Marine Science, Meteorology, Earth Science, Nuclear Engineering, Mining, Medical Engineering, and Aeronautical Engineering. This distinguishes it from other universities in the Kingdom. The University has endeavored since its foundation to make higher education more accessible to women. It was the first university to allow women to be taught in classrooms, and that the campus for women’s instruction began operations the same day as the men’s campus. An External Learning program was established at the University to assist in providing continuing educational programs for adult students and to help those students whose circumstances prevented them from continuing their college education. In recent years, the Faculty of Distance Learning was established to keep abreast of advancements in the academic and cultural domains and to simplify education for more mature students who do not meet University undergraduate admission requirements. Since its establishment, KAU has embarked on a steady course of expansion. Enrollment increased from 68 men and 30 women into students in 2004 of which 26,528 are men. K ing A bd ulaziz U ni ve rsit y 11 U ni ve rsit y M ap |