Red Sea Project Majors: What Saudi Scholars Need for Jobs

اقرأ هذا المقال بالعربية

The Red Sea Project, run by Red Sea Global (owned by the Public Investment Fund), needs diverse talent in engineering and construction, hospitality and tourism, environment and marine biology, technology, and finance. This strong hiring demand has pushed the company to launch its own scholarship and training programmes, and pushed the Ministry of Education to link Saudi scholarship tracks to majors tied to this kind of Vision 2030 project.

If you’re a current scholar or planning your Saudi scholarship and thinking about your future career inside the Kingdom, this article explains which majors are actually in demand, how to reach them through your scholarship track, and where to find the company’s own programmes. If you’re still comparing Saudi scholarship tracks overall, start with Saudi Scholarship Programmes: A Guide to All Tracks, from King Salman Scholarship to Cultural Scholarship to understand the full picture before choosing.

How does the Red Sea Project connect to Saudi scholarships?

The Red Sea Project is a massive government tourism project, and one of the leading tourism projects under Vision 2030. It is developed by Red Sea Global, headquartered in Riyadh, with its two current flagship destinations being "The Red Sea" and "AMAALA". The company states that its work spans key divisions, notably development and project delivery, environment and sustainability, plus scientific teams working in the field to monitor marine environments —.

According to the development authority’s official announcement, Phase One of the project was scheduled for completion by the final quarter of 2022, including hotels, luxury residential units, and the full logistics infrastructure —. A project of this scale in construction and operations cannot be covered by the local job market with ready talent alone. This is why it matters to link Saudi scholarships early to the project’s required majors, rather than a scholar graduating and then searching for a job unrelated to their studies.

Which majors does the Red Sea Project need?

The project’s needs concentrate in four main areas: luxury hospitality, environment and sustainability, construction and engineering and infrastructure, and tourism operations and support services. Within each area, there are specific university majors the project prefers when hiring.

Engineering and construction Phase Two of the project, which began in 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2030, requires large numbers of construction engineers. The most in-demand majors here are civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, plus construction management, quantity surveying, and process engineering. The company’s own graduate programme, the Elite Graduate Program, explicitly states that its project delivery tracks require majors in construction management, civil engineering, structural engineering, architectural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, and interior design —.

Hospitality, tourism and business administration Since the project is built around luxury hotels and tourism islands, hotel management, tourism, hospitality, and business administration are among the most sought-after majors, alongside graphic design for marketing and operational functions. This area is actually the focus of the company’s official scholarship programme, as explained below.

Environment, sustainability and marine biology The project presents itself as a tourism project that preserves the environment, so it hires scientists and field researchers in environmental science and marine biology. Relevant majors here include environmental science, environmental management, and marine sciences — very close to the "Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary Science" field in Saudi scholarship systems.

Finance and technology The investment and finance track within the Elite Graduate Program specifically requires a bachelor’s degree in finance, real estate, or hospitality —. Alongside this, there’s ongoing demand for information technology and computer science to support the project’s digital operations.

How does Red Sea Global open its doors to scholars and graduates?

The company doesn’t wait for graduates only — it has launched two official programmes to attract young Saudi talent early. The first is the "Red Sea Scholarship", an official scholarship programme aimed at enabling young Saudis to work across diverse tourism and hospitality fields, supporting the Human Capability Development Programme and Saudi Vision 2030 —. The programme runs for two academic semesters, combining study, intensive training, and practical experience, and concludes with a certificate from UPM university, accredited by the renowned Swiss EHL hospitality management institute —.

The second is the "Elite Graduate Program", aimed at Saudi graduates, offering entry-level jobs with structured training in strategic company areas, notably project delivery, and investment and finance, as mentioned above —.

Field jobs directly linked to the sea, such as diving and water activities, typically require certified international marine safety qualifications alongside the university major — a detail worth verifying directly with the company at the time of application.

How do Saudi scholarships connect to Vision 2030 projects?

The Ministry of Education doesn’t leave the link between scholarships and the job market to chance. Since 2015, the Ministry has worked through the "Your Job Is Your Scholarship" (وظيفتك بعثتك) initiative to directly connect scholarships with securing jobs for scholars upon graduation — Saudi Ministry of Education. The Excellence Track (مسار التميز), documented on the Ministry’s website for the 2025-2026 academic year, was a clear example of this approach, dedicated to supporting promising sectors such as tourism and tourism management, hospitality, business administration, and environmental sciences — Saudi Ministry of Education. Its official list of majors included hospitality management, tourism and tourism management and hospitality, marine sciences, and environmental sciences and environmental management — Saudi Ministry of Education. These majors align almost exactly with what the Red Sea Project needs.

Importantly, the Excellence Track does not appear among the announced scholarship tracks for 2026-2027, which number only four: Al-Ruwad (Pioneers), Research and Development, Imdad, and Waeid — Saudi Ministry of Education. So if you’re planning around a major from this list, verify the Excellence Track’s current status directly from the Ministry’s website before building your plan on it. You can also review The Excellence Track for Scholarships: Conditions, Majors and Australian Universities, and Is It Still Open? for more details.

Which scholarship track suits Red Sea Project majors?

Since Australia is included among scholarship destination countries, the practical question is: which of the four tracks includes your major, and which Australian university is available within it? The table below summarises the picture based on the guiding classification guide for universities for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Required Major in the Red Sea Project	Field in Scholarship Guide	Suitable Track	Listed Australian Universities
Business administration, hospitality, tourism, finance	Business, Administration and Law	Imdad (Bachelor’s and Master’s)	Sydney, Monash, UNSW, RMIT, Macquarie
Civil, electrical and mechanical engineering	Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction	Research and Development (PhD only)	Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, RMIT, Macquarie
Environmental science and marine biology	Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary Science	Imdad or Research and Development	Imdad: Sydney, Monash, RMIT, Deakin, Curtin, Griffith
Information technology and computer science	Information and Communication Technology	Imdad or Research and Development	Imdad: Sydney, Monash, UNSW, Macquarie

Source: Saudi Ministry of Education — Guiding Classification Guide.

Two important notes before you build your decision on this table:

• Engineering in all its branches falls under "Research and Development", and this track is for PhD only. If you’re looking for a bachelor’s degree in engineering specifically, review Differences Between Saudi Scholarship Tracks: Al-Ruwad, Imdad, Research and Development, and Waeid to find out which alternative option suits you.
• The Al-Ruwad (Pioneers) track accepts all majors with no exceptions and no country or field restrictions, but its list includes 30 institutions across 8 countries, none of which are Australian universities. If your goal is specifically to study in Australia, Al-Ruwad is not an available option for you. Details are available in The Al-Ruwad Scholarship Track: Conditions, Majors, Universities and How to Apply.

There is also the "Waeid" track, an employment-linked scholarship with specific announced entities, similar to what other bodies like Ma’aden and the Ministry of Tourism do. If your main thinking is linking your studies to a specific job from the start, learn how this type of pathway works from Employment-Linked Scholarships: Ma’aden, Ministry of Tourism, and the Waeid Track.

Practical steps if you’re targeting a career at the Red Sea Project

1. Define your exact major first: engineering, or hospitality and tourism, or environment and marine biology, or finance, or technology, since each falls under a different field in the scholarship guide.
2. Review the corresponding field for your major in the guiding classification guide to find out which scholarship track actually includes it, then check the Australian universities available within it.
3. Follow the Red Sea Scholarship and Elite Graduate Program pages directly on the company’s official website to learn current application conditions and opening dates.
4. If you’re at the stage of choosing your university and major, use the guide How to Choose Your Major and University in Australia for Your Scholarship: A Data-Driven Approach to balance track requirements with job market opportunities.
5. Contact the Ministry of Education or a trusted admissions office to verify your decision before formally applying to the track.

Practical conclusion

The Red Sea Project is a genuine career opportunity for those who plan their major early, but it’s an opportunity that requires knowing exactly which scholarship track actually covers your major and which Australian university is listed within it, rather than discovering this after applying. If you’d like help choosing the right major and university for your track, you can register with KD International to review your options before starting your application journey.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• مسارات برنامج الابتعاث — وزارة التعليم السعودية
• الدليل الاسترشادي لترتيب قوائم الجامعات حسب المجالات 2026-2027 — وزارة التعليم السعودية
• صفحة الابتعاث وتخصصاته — وزارة التعليم السعودية
• قائمة التخصصات الرسمية — وزارة التعليم السعودية

Last updated: 6 October 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.