Key takeaways
- Emdad is a bachelor’s and master’s track for the top 200 universities and institutes in labour-market fields, part of the program strategy announced in March 2022.
- Its core condition is a final unconditional offer from the admissions office of a university on the track’s list; language-conditional offers are not accepted for Australia.
- The track has 8 fields of education, each with its own list of majors and ranked universities, updated every academic year.
- The 2026–2027 guidance document names 13 Australian universities across the Emdad lists; a university is approved for a specific field, not every major.
- Applications go through the Qabul platform via Nafath; no Qudurat or Tahsili test or minimum high-school percentage is required, and the bachelor’s age limit is 30.
In this article
The Emdad track (مسار إمداد) is the King Salman Scholarship Program track aimed at the world’s top 200 universities and institutes, in defined fields with high labour-market demand, for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education as at 14 September 2026. Its core condition is a final unconditional offer from a university on its list, and its 2026–2027 lists include Australian universities in all eight of its fields.
What is the idea behind the Emdad track?
The name explains it: Emdad means "supplying" the labour market with what it needs. The track came with the program strategy announced in March 2022, which targets 70,000 Saudi men and women at the top 200 educational and training institutions by 2030 through four tracks, each with its own fields, as reported by Al Riyadh on 15 March 2022. The Ministry describes it as a track for "the top 200 universities and institutes worldwide in defined fields with high labour-market demand" for bachelor’s and master’s study, according to the Emdad FAQ.
The track page today shows 223 universities in 15 countries, two degree levels and 8 fields, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education as at 14 September 2026. KD International announced in January 2023 that Australian universities had been added to the Emdad and Research and Development tracks; the lists are updated every year, so the reference now is the guidance document for the 2026–2027 academic year.
What are the Emdad track requirements?
Track-specific conditions
- The offer must be from one of the top 200 institutions on the program’s list for the track, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education as at 14 September 2026.
- The offer must be final and unconditional and issued by the admissions office of the approved university, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. The only exception is an offer conditional on language study in non-English-speaking countries, which does not apply to Australia.
- Study is on campus, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education.
General program conditions
- Saudi nationality and good conduct, full-time study while residing in the host country, and a major on the academic year’s list, according to the general conditions as at 14 September 2026.
- Bachelor’s applicants must be no older than 30, according to the general conditions.
- No Qudurat or Tahsili test is required, and there is no minimum high-school percentage for Emdad, according to the general conditions and Okaz on 12 September 2022.
- You cannot be sponsored for a degree you already hold, nor repeat a scholarship for the same degree without completing it, according to the general conditions.
- You may lodge more than one application in the same track or across different tracks, universities and majors; one is accepted after the comparison process, according to the Emdad FAQ.
- Maximum scholarship duration is 5 years for a bachelor’s and 2 years for a master’s, according to the program FAQ.
What majors does the Emdad track cover?
The 2026–2027 guidance document divides Emdad into 8 fields of education, each with a list of majors and a ranked list of universities, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education:
- Business, Administration and Law
- Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction
- Arts and Humanities
- Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary
- Social Sciences, Journalism and Information
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Services
The document notes that a major’s name may differ from the name on the university’s website, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. When the Ministry introduced the track in June 2022 it gave examples of its majors: economics, accounting and management information systems, financial risk management and actuarial science, electrical, mechanical, industrial and civil engineering, aeronautical and marine engineering, environment, petrochemicals and oil and gas engineering, hospitality and event management, and genetics and immunology, as reported by Sabq on 2 June 2022. The current detailed list is on the Safeer platform and in the guidance document, so confirm your major is there before requesting an offer.
Which Australian universities are approved for the Emdad track?
Australia is one of the track’s 15 countries. The program’s Australia page lists 22 Australian institutions for the program as a whole without specifying tracks, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education as at 14 September 2026. What matters for Emdad is the field list: a university is approved for a specific field, not for every major. The table below gathers the Australian universities that appear in the Emdad lists by field in the 2026–2027 guidance document:
| Field | Australian universities on the 2026–2027 Emdad list |
|---|---|
| Business, Administration and Law | Monash, Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, ANU, UNSW Sydney, Macquarie, RMIT |
| Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction | Western Australia, Sydney, Queensland, Melbourne, Monash, UNSW Sydney |
| Arts and Humanities | Melbourne, Monash, Sydney, UNSW Sydney, ANU |
| Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics | ANU, Monash, Sydney, Queensland, UNSW Sydney |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary | Queensland, Sydney, ANU, Adelaide |
| Social Sciences, Journalism and Information | Melbourne, Queensland, UNSW Sydney |
| Information and Communication Technologies | Sydney, Monash, Melbourne, Adelaide, ANU, Macquarie, UNSW Sydney |
| Services | Griffith, RMIT, Curtin, Monash, Deakin |
That is 13 Australian universities across the eight fields, according to the 2026–2027 guidance document. The practical rule: look for your university in the list for your field, not in the general list. A university approved for Services is not necessarily approved for Engineering. Because the ranking changes every academic year, check the current list on the Safeer platform before paying an admission deposit.
How do you apply for the Emdad track?
- Match your major to a field. Open the guidance document and confirm your major sits in one of the eight fields and your university is on that field’s list.
- Obtain a final unconditional offer from the admissions office. A language-conditional offer is not accepted for Australia, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education.
- Prepare your documents: a valid national ID, a passport valid for at least one year, the certified official graduation document, the transcript, a degree equivalency if issued outside Saudi Arabia, and a registered national address, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education as at 14 September 2026.
- Log in to the Qabul platform via Nafath, verify your details, enter your language tests, then start the application, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. High-school graduates can also add Emdad bachelor’s study among their preferences on the unified admission portal; last year the preference window ran from 28 May to 26 June 2025, as reported by Sabq on 28 May 2025. Check this year’s dates.
- Follow the application until the comparison result is issued, then lodge the student visa with your Confirmation of Enrolment.
The full sequence, from choosing a university to departure, is in our step-by-step guide. If your university is in the world’s top 30, read the Arruaad track instead of Emdad; if you have not settled on a track, start with our guide to all Saudi scholarship tracks.
How KD International helps
We are a Saudi-Australian education consultancy and university admissions company with offices in Riyadh and Sydney, working since 2015. Our admission service is free for students applying to scholarship-program majors at universities approved by the Saudi Ministry of Education. We help you choose a university from your field’s list, obtain the unconditional offer, arrange an English program if you need one, NAATI-accredited translation, and accommodation.
Summary
Emdad is the widest road for Saudi students to Australia: a bachelor’s or master’s degree, in 8 fields, from a university on the field’s list, with an unconditional offer. Your next step: send your major and target degree through the application form or contact us, and we will tell you which Australian universities are approved for your field this year.
Frequently asked questions
A King Salman Scholarship Program track targeting the world’s top 200 universities and institutes in defined fields with high labour-market demand, for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studied on campus.
A final unconditional offer from the admissions office of a university on the track’s list, plus the general conditions: Saudi nationality, good conduct, full-time study in the host country, and a bachelor’s age limit of 30. No Qudurat or Tahsili test is required.
Eight fields: business, administration and law; engineering, manufacturing and construction; arts and humanities; natural sciences, mathematics and statistics; agriculture and veterinary; social sciences and media; information and communication technologies; and services. Detailed majors are in the guidance document and on Safeer.
The 2026–2027 guidance document names 13 Australian universities across the fields, including Monash, Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, ANU, UNSW Sydney, Macquarie, Adelaide, Western Australia, RMIT, Griffith, Curtin and Deakin. Each is approved for a specific field, so check the list for your field.
No. The Ministry requires a final unconditional offer. The only exception is an offer conditional on language study in non-English-speaking countries, which does not apply to Australia.
No. The Ministry clarified that there is no set high-school percentage for Emdad and no Qudurat or Tahsili requirement, provided the general and track conditions are met and an unconditional offer is obtained.
Obtain the unconditional offer, then log in to the Qabul platform via Nafath, verify your details, enter your language tests, attach your ID, passport, certified graduation document, transcript and national address, and start the application. You may lodge more than one application; one is accepted.
Official sources
- مسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم
- الشروط الخاصة بمسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم
- الأسئلة الشائعة لمسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم
- الشروط العامة للبرنامج — وزارة التعليم
- الأسئلة الأكثر شيوعاً — وزارة التعليم
- الدليل الاسترشادي لترتيب قوائم الجامعات حسب المجالات 2026–2027 — وزارة التعليم
- أستراليا – قائمة دول الابتعاث — وزارة التعليم
- خدمة التقديم على الابتعاث — وزارة التعليم
- «برنامج الابتعاث»: لا نسبة محددة للثانوية للتقديم.. وإتاحة أكثر من طلب مختلف — صحيفة عكاظ
- برنامج خادم الحرمين للابتعاث.. تعرّف على التخصصات المتاحة للتسجيل في «مسار إمداد» — صحيفة سبق
- «التعليم» تعلن اليوم فتح باب القبول لخريجي الثانوية العامة في الجامعات الحكومية — صحيفة سبق
- ابتعاث 70 ألف مواطن لأفضل 200 جامعة بالعالم — جريدة الرياض
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
