Key takeaways
- The Ministry of Culture has opened a domestic scholarship (study inside the Kingdom) for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Fashion at Istituto Marangoni in Riyadh, with applications open from 8 October to 4 November 2026.
- The bachelor’s programme includes four specialisations: Fashion and Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Image, Fashion Business and Digital Communication, while the master’s is in Luxury Fashion Management and Marketing.
- Enrolment requires two separate applications: an academic admission application directly to Istituto Marangoni, and a separate scholarship application via the Cultural Scholarship platform.
- General requirements for the pre-admitted track include Saudi nationality and final unconditional admission into an approved specialisation; detailed Marangoni-specific requirements are not yet officially published.
- The scholarship covers tuition costs, financial guarantee, living expenses, health insurance, and travel tickets under the general cultural scholarship terms.
- Study actually begins in January 2027, and the programme extends the Fashion Commission’s partnership with Istituto Marangoni signed in 2024.
In this article
- What is the domestic cultural scholarship for Fashion studies?
- What did the Ministry of Culture announce about studying Fashion at Marangoni?
- What specialisations are available in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes?
- What are the eligibility requirements for the cultural scholarship?
- What does the cultural scholarship cover financially?
- How to apply step by step
- When is the application deadline, and when does study begin?
- Why did the Ministry of Culture choose Istituto Marangoni specifically?
- Can KD help you apply?
- Next step
What is the domestic cultural scholarship for Fashion studies?
This is an opportunity offered by the Ministry of Culture for Saudi students to receive a scholarship to study inside the Kingdom (not abroad), enrolling in bachelor’s and master’s programmes in Fashion at Istituto Marangoni in Riyadh. It is called a "domestic scholarship" because study takes place at the institute’s campus in Riyadh itself, while support and oversight remain through the Cultural Scholarship platform under the Ministry of Culture.
What did the Ministry of Culture announce about studying Fashion at Marangoni?
Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan announced the launch of bachelor’s and master’s programmes in Fashion at Istituto Marangoni in Riyadh, a step aimed at building specialised Saudi talent in the fashion industry dated 8 October 2026. This announcement is part of the wider cultural scholarship system covering various cultural disciplines, which we detailed in our guide to Saudi scholarship programmes: all pathways from King Salman Scholarship Program to the cultural scholarship.
Students interested in enrolling can apply directly through the institute’s official website, the Riyadh School of Fashion and Design, to submit an admission application. Afterwards, a separate scholarship application must be completed on the scholarship platform if the student wishes to benefit from scholarship funding support.
What specialisations are available in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes?
The bachelor’s programme includes four academic specialisations. Three are named explicitly: Fashion and Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Image, and Fashion Business and Digital Communication. A fourth specialisation was mentioned explicitly in news coverage without naming it yet; reports state that the bachelor’s programme offers four specialisations including Fashion and Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Image, and Fashion Business and Digital Communication, plus a fourth fashion-related specialisation, confirmed also by Al Bilad newspaper stating the bachelor’s programme offers four specialisations including Fashion and Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Image, and Fashion Business and Digital Communication, plus a fourth fashion-related specialisation. The master’s degree is offered in one specialisation:
| Level | Specialisation |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | Fashion and Accessory Design |
| Bachelor’s | Fashion Communication and Image |
| Bachelor’s | Fashion Business and Digital Communication |
| Bachelor’s | Fourth specialisation — mentioned in several news reports but not officially named yet |
| Master’s | Luxury Fashion Management and Marketing |
Source:,, and, dated 8 October 2026. To find out the name of the fourth specialisation once announced, check Istituto Marangoni’s website or the programme page on the Cultural Scholarship platform.
What are the eligibility requirements for the cultural scholarship?
According to the general requirements published on the Cultural Scholarship platform, applicants under the pre-admitted track must be:
- Saudi nationals, of good conduct.
- Holders of a final (not conditional) admission from an educational institution included in the programme’s approved institutions list as per the Cultural Scholarship platform.
- Admitted into one of the specialisations approved under the programme as per the Cultural Scholarship platform.
- The programme is exclusively for Saudi citizens as per the Cultural Scholarship platform.
These are the general track requirements. As of writing, we found no official text specifying additional detailed requirements (such as GPA, language level, or age limit) specific to the "domestic scholarship" track for Istituto Marangoni specifically. Check the detailed requirements when the application window opens on the Cultural Scholarship platform, and directly with the institute. The difference between unconditional and conditional offers matters here, and we have explained it in Conditional vs unconditional offer in Australia: the difference and when it’s accepted for scholarships.
What does the cultural scholarship cover financially?
The cultural scholarship programme includes a full academic scholarship covering tuition costs, financial guarantee, living expenses for the student and an accompanying dependant, plus health insurance and travel tickets as per the Cultural Scholarship platform. However, we have not yet found an official figure for the monthly stipend or specific tuition fees for the Marangoni programme. Check this figure with the Ministry of Culture or the institute once applications open. For a broader look at other fully-funded scholarship programmes, see Fully-funded Saudi scholarship programmes: the complete list and eligibility for each.
How to apply step by step
- Submit your academic admission application directly through Istituto Marangoni’s official website (Riyadh School of Fashion and Design).
- Wait for the institute’s final admission decision in your chosen programme (bachelor’s or master’s).
- Register a separate application on the Cultural Scholarship platform to benefit from domestic scholarship support; the two applications are independent and neither replaces the other.
- Attach your final admission letter to the scholarship application documents.
- Track your application status on the platform until the scholarship approval decision is issued.
When is the application deadline, and when does study begin?
Registration opened on 8 October 2026 and continues until 4 November 2026, with actual study starting in January 2027. This is a relatively short window. If you are considering applying, start preparing your academic admission documents early, and do not wait until the final weeks.
Why did the Ministry of Culture choose Istituto Marangoni specifically?
These programmes extend the diploma and professional courses that Istituto Marangoni has offered in Riyadh since its opening in 2025, building on the partnership signed between the Fashion Commission and the institute in 2024. CEO of the Fashion Commission Burak Cakmak said that building a world-class fashion ecosystem requires investing in talent at every stage.
For her part, Istituto Marangoni’s CEO Stefania Valenti said offering bachelor’s and master’s programmes within the Kingdom is an important milestone in the institute’s history, and that students at the Riyadh campus will receive internationally recognised qualifications, alongside access to the institute’s global network built over more than 90 years.
The Ministry of Culture originally launched the Cultural Scholarship platform via scholarship.moc.gov.sa to receive applications for its various programmes as per SPA. For more details on specialisations under this programme generally, see Cultural scholarship: specialisations, Australian universities, and how to apply.
Can KD help you apply?
KD International highlighted this opportunity in a post on 9 October 2026, noting that applications for the domestic Fashion scholarship at Marangoni are open for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees until 4 November 2026, and invited those interested to get in touch for enquiries. The company provides educational consulting and university admissions services, and notes that admissions support is free for students wishing to enrol in scholarship-eligible specialisations and universities approved by the Ministry of Education. If you are considering this pathway or other scholarship routes, you can review Comparing Saudi scholarship tracks: Al-Ruwad, Emdad, R&D, and Waad for a comparison.
Next step
If you are interested in studying Fashion through this pathway, start now by preparing your academic admission documents and applying through Istituto Marangoni’s website. Then register your application on the Cultural Scholarship platform before the deadline closes on 4 November 2026, and contact the relevant authority to confirm any detailed requirement not yet published — including the name of the fourth bachelor’s specialisation.
Frequently asked questions
It is a pathway under the Ministry of Culture that offers Saudi students a scholarship to study inside the Kingdom itself, not abroad, such as the Istituto Marangoni programme in Riyadh, with study and living costs covered under the programme’s general terms.
Applicants must be Saudi nationals and hold a final, unconditional admission offer from the institute in one of the approved specialisations. Other detailed requirements (such as GPA or language level) have not been officially published yet; check with the institute or the Cultural Scholarship platform.
The application deadline is 4 November 2026. Registration opened on 8 October 2026, with actual study starting in January 2027.
Yes, it includes four bachelor’s specialisations: Fashion and Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Image, and Fashion Business and Digital Communication, plus one master’s in Luxury Fashion Management and Marketing.
Yes, the student needs to submit an academic admission application directly to Istituto Marangoni through its official website, then a separate scholarship application via the Cultural Scholarship platform to access financial support.
The programme covers tuition costs, financial guarantee, living expenses for the student and an accompanying dependant, plus health insurance and travel tickets, as per the general terms published on the Cultural Scholarship platform.
No, the cultural scholarship programme is exclusively for Saudi male and female citizens, as per the terms published on the Cultural Scholarship platform.
Official sources
- الشروط العامة لبرنامج الابتعاث الثقافي — وزارة الثقافة – منصة الابتعاث الثقافي
- إطلاق المنصة الإلكترونية لبرنامج الابتعاث الثقافي — واس (وكالة الأنباء السعودية)
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Last updated: 9 October 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
