StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Islamic University of Madinah Scholarship is a fully funded government scholarship for international Muslim male students to study at the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia — an institution founded in 1961 by royal decree, in one of Islam’s most significant cities, which today hosts students from more than 170 countries. It covers undergraduate, Master’s and PhD study across the university’s colleges: Shariah, the Holy Quran, Hadith, Arabic Language, Da’wah and Fundamentals of Religion, alongside the Colleges of Science, Engineering, and Computer and Information Systems.
The package is comprehensive: full tuition, a monthly stipend, free furnished accommodation for unmarried students, healthcare at the university hospital, a free return air ticket on admission and at the end of each academic year, free daily transport to the Prophet’s Mosque, regular organised Umrah trips, and meals at the university restaurant for a small monthly fee. An extra allowance is paid to students with excellent grades. Study is conducted primarily in Arabic, so postgraduate applicants are assessed on language proficiency as part of selection.
Eligibility
- Muslim male students from any country — non-Saudi nationals residing outside the Kingdom.
- Undergraduate: aged 17–25, with a high-school diploma or equivalent (12 years of education) from within the last 5 years.
- Master’s: a Bachelor’s degree (16 years of education); one source reports a minimum GPA of 3.75 out of 5.
- Good conduct and good physical and medical health.
- No IELTS is required for undergraduate entry. Postgraduate applicants are assessed on Arabic proficiency, since most programmes are taught in Arabic.
- Applicants must be willing to follow the university’s rules and regulations.
Benefits
- Full tuition fee coverage for the entire programme.
- A monthly stipend to cover living expenses (the amount is not published in the sources checked).
- Free furnished accommodation for unmarried students.
- Free healthcare at the university hospital.
- A free return air ticket on admission and at the end of each academic year.
- Free daily transport to and from the Prophet’s Mosque and regular organised Umrah trips.
- An extra allowance for students with excellent grades.
- Meals at the university restaurant for a small monthly fee, plus access to social, training and sports facilities.
Documents to prepare
- Passport (valid).
- Birth certificate.
- High-school transcripts and certificates (and degree certificates for postgraduate applicants).
- Testimony of conduct / character reference, plus a recommendation letter from religious leaders or a recognised Islamic authority (reported by secondary sources).
- A medical report confirming fitness.
- All documents in Arabic or English, with originals attested by the Saudi Embassy or a recognised authority. Correct any errors in the original documents before submission.
How to apply
- Go to the official Islamic University of Madinah scholarship portal — the "My Scholarships at the Islamic University of Madinah" page at iu.edu.sa — or apply through the Saudi government’s Study in Saudi Arabia portal (studyinsaudi.sa).
- Complete the online application form and upload the required documents.
- Make sure all original documents are attested by the Saudi Embassy or a recognised authority, and correct any errors before submission.
- Wait for the university’s decision. Successful applicants receive an admission letter and a free air ticket.
FAQs
Yes. It covers full tuition, a monthly stipend, free furnished accommodation for unmarried students, healthcare, a free return air ticket on admission and at the end of each academic year, transport to the Prophet’s Mosque and organised Umrah trips.
International Muslim male students from any country (non-Saudi nationals living outside the Kingdom). Undergraduate applicants must be aged 17–25 with a high-school certificate from the last 5 years; Master’s applicants need a Bachelor’s degree. Applicants must be of good conduct and medically fit.
The university does not publish one fixed closing date — several sources report that applications are accepted year-round. Secondary sources give conflicting 2026 dates (14 June 2026, 21 May 2026 and 31 October 2026 for different tracks), none of which is confirmed on the official site. A 2027 guide reports the 1447 AH entry as open now. Check the official portal for the current intake.
No, IELTS is not required for undergraduate entry. Postgraduate applicants are assessed on Arabic proficiency, since most programmes are taught in Arabic.
Full tuition, a monthly stipend (amount not published in the sources checked), free furnished accommodation for unmarried students, healthcare, a free return air ticket on admission and at the end of each academic year, daily transport to the Prophet’s Mosque, organised Umrah trips, and an extra allowance for excellent grades.
No. The scholarship is for male students only.
Undergraduate, Master’s and PhD programmes across Shariah, Quran, Hadith, Arabic Language, Da’wah, Science, Engineering and Computer and Information Systems — including Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Renewable Energy, Mechatronics and Robotics.
Apply online through the university’s official scholarship portal at iu.edu.sa, or through the Saudi government’s Study in Saudi Arabia portal (studyinsaudi.sa), uploading attested documents in Arabic or English.
Verified 28 Oct 2026 from multiple independent secondary sources agreeing on the core facts — ScholarWaka (deadline 14 June 2026; fully funded; tuition, accommodation, monthly allowance, flights, healthcare; Muslim male; founded 1961; students from 130+ countries; study mainly in Arabic), EngineersJob (deadline 21 May 2026; UG 17–25, high-school certificate within last 5 years; Master's GPA 3.75/5; documents — passport, birth certificate, transcripts, testimony of conduct, attested by the Saudi Embassy; benefits list), StudyCorner (fully funded; Muslim male only; no IELTS; applications year-round; deadline listed as 14 June 2026 / 31 Oct 2026; official site iu.edu.sa), PakAdmissions (UG deadline 14 June 2026; Master's year-round; 170+ countries), OpportunitiesNexus 2027 guide (OPEN — 1447 AH entry applications now accepted; apply through studyinsaudi.sa/en; contact care@iu.edu.sa; information verified from iu.edu.sa/en-us, fetched live 22 September 2026) and FutureHelpPortal (benefits list; colleges list) — plus the queue's Bright Scholarship listing. CONFLICTS: (1) The 2026 deadline is reported as 21 May 2026 (EngineersJob), 14 June 2026 (ScholarWaka, PakAdmissions), 14 June / 31 Oct 2026 (StudyCorner) and "year-round" (StudyCorner FAQ, PakAdmissions for Master's) — none confirmed on the official site, so the article states year-round acceptance and lists the conflict rather than printing one date. (2) The monthly stipend amount is not published in any source checked, so no figure is stated. (3) The Master's GPA of 3.75/5 comes from one secondary source and is presented as reported. (4) The "arrival cash reward" appears in one secondary source only and is not stated as confirmed.
