Key takeaways
- The Cultural Scholarship is a full scholarship from the Saudi Ministry of Culture covering tuition, living costs, insurance and travel for the student and a companion in 14 cultural and artistic fields.
- Applications are open all year through two tracks: self-funded students and holders of a final, unconditional offer; conditional offers are not accepted.
- ANU is the only Australian university on the core list, while Macquarie, Monash, Melbourne, UNSW, Queensland and Sydney sit on a list where admission is stopped because seats are full, as at September 2026.
- Specialisation lists add La Trobe, UTS, RMIT and Deakin, and the diploma list names specific programs at RMIT, UTS, Deakin and the University of Sydney.
- Apply at least three months before the course starts, list up to 3 preferences, and expect results in four rounds a year.
- KD provides its services free to Cultural Scholarship students for the university application; the application on the Ministry platform is made from your own account.
In this article
- What is the Cultural Scholarship Program and who runs it?
- Which specialisations are available now?
- Which Australian universities are approved for the Cultural Scholarship?
- What are the conditions of the Cultural Scholarship?
- How do you apply for the Cultural Scholarship?
- How does KD International help with the Cultural Scholarship?
The Cultural Scholarship Program (برنامج الابتعاث الثقافي) is a fully funded scholarship from the Saudi Ministry of Culture for diploma, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral study in 14 cultural and artistic fields, from music and theatre to heritage, fashion and digital content, at institutions named on its lists Cultural Scholarship Platform. Applications are open all year on the Ministry’s platform through two tracks: self-funded students already abroad, and holders of a final, unconditional offer.
What is the Cultural Scholarship Program and who runs it?
The program is run by the Ministry of Culture through the Cultural Scholarship Platform (منصة الابتعاث الثقافي). It was launched in January 2020 to build Saudi capability in cultural and artistic disciplines at leading universities. Today it accepts applications through two tracks Cultural Scholarship Platform:
- Self-funded students track: for students already studying abroad at their own expense, provided the specialisation is within the program and the institution is on the approved list for that specialisation.
- Pre-accepted students track: for applicants holding a final, unconditional offer from an approved institution in an approved specialisation.
A third program for school students has closed its expression-of-interest period, and the platform says an application window will be announced later Cultural Scholarship Platform.
What does the scholarship cover?
The Ministry describes it as a full scholarship: tuition, the financial guarantee, living expenses for the student and one companion, health insurance, and travel tickets between Saudi Arabia and the place of study, plus mentoring programs that follow the scholar’s academic progress Cultural Scholarship Platform. The allowance for accompanying children covers a maximum of 4 children, and a mahram for female scholars is covered but not mandatory. The program does not end in employment, and it does not include a language year in non-English-speaking countries.
Which specialisations are available now?
The platform lists 14 fields, and you may apply for any sub-specialisation that falls under one of them Cultural Scholarship Platform:
| Field | Examples of what it covers |
|---|---|
| Music | Instrumental performance, schools of music and their history |
| Theatre | Forms of theatre, acting and directing |
| Visual arts | Painting, sculpture, photography |
| Filmmaking | Screenwriting, directing, production |
| Literature, languages and linguistics | Linguistics, comparative literature |
| Heritage and archaeology | Immovable, movable and underwater heritage, living heritage |
| Culinary arts | Cooking techniques and food presentation |
| Design | Interior design, graphic design |
| Fashion design | Fashion, textiles and production |
| Architecture | Building design that reflects culture and its aesthetics |
| Museums | Museum design, management and operation |
| Libraries | Library design and management (some lists exclude data science) |
| Food science and technology | Preservation, processing and packaging of food |
| Digital content (new) | Audio: recording, mixing and streaming; digital video: video on demand |
The specialisation you want does not have to continue your previous qualification, and you can apply for a bachelor’s degree with a high-school certificate Cultural Scholarship Platform.
Which Australian universities are approved for the Cultural Scholarship?
There is no single list but four layers of lists, and where an Australian university sits determines whether its door is open now Cultural Scholarship Platform (as at 14 September 2026):
1. Core institutions (the Excellence list)
A list of 52 institutions worldwide open to every specialisation in the program; the only Australian university on it is the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra Cultural Scholarship Platform. The Excellence lists by specialisation add the University of Sydney for museum studies.
2. The Cultural Scholarship Program list
This list includes well-known Australian universities: Macquarie, Monash, Melbourne, UNSW, Queensland and Sydney. But the platform states that admission has been stopped for all institutions on this list because seats for the cultural track are full; check its status on the platform before building your plan around it.
3. Lists by specialisation
| Specialisation | Australian universities on the list |
|---|---|
| Heritage and archaeology | La Trobe University |
| Visual arts and design | University of Technology Sydney (UTS) |
| Fashion design | UTS and RMIT University |
| Museums | Deakin University |
The architecture and visual arts lists also name a "University of Newcastle" without a country, so confirm on the platform which of the two universities is meant before applying.
4. The diploma list
Diplomas have a separate list naming specific Australian programs: building construction, screen and media, fashion styling, fashion, and visual arts at RMIT; construction management at UTS and Deakin; museum studies at Deakin; and heritage conservation and applied linguistics at the University of Sydney Cultural Scholarship Platform.
Admission to the program depends only on the specialisations and institutions available in it; an offer from a university outside the lists is not accepted. To compare with other scholarship lists, read the guide to all Saudi scholarship tracks.
What are the conditions of the Cultural Scholarship?
The general conditions as stated on the platform Cultural Scholarship Platform:
- The applicant must be a Saudi national of good character and conduct.
- The institution must be on the list of available institutions, and the specialisation must be one of the specified fields or their branches.
- Documents must be complete and correct; anyone whose information is found to differ from official documents is excluded.
The special conditions for both tracks: a final offer from an approved institution in an approved specialisation, study in the country the institution belongs to, and full-time attendance throughout the scholarship. A conditional offer is not accepted in the pre-accepted track. There is no age limit and no uniform grade requirement; the grade required is whatever the university you apply to asks for.
The Ministry also notes that meeting the conditions does not guarantee acceptance, because seats per field are limited and acceptance runs in order of application until seats are full Cultural Scholarship Platform.
How do you apply for the Cultural Scholarship?
- Obtain a final, unconditional offer from an institution on the lists in an approved specialisation. This is where KD’s free service starts: preparing and following up the university application.
- Create an account on the Cultural Scholarship Platform and activate it from your email.
- Choose your track: self-funded or pre-accepted. You cannot switch tracks later.
- Complete the application form in full and attach your documents; you may list 3 preferences if you hold a direct academic offer, and only your last application counts if you submit more than once.
- Apply at least three months before the course starts in the pre-accepted track Cultural Scholarship Platform.
- Your documents are checked and matched, then available seats are verified and candidates are contacted in order of application.
- The result arrives by email: approved, rejected or waitlisted. For applicants to universities on the cultural track, results for 2026/2027 are announced in four rounds: June for those who applied before April, August for April and May applicants, October for June and July applicants, and December for August and September applicants; for Excellence-list universities, applicants are updated within 3 months of applying Cultural Scholarship Platform.
- After approval you complete the financial guarantee, then the student visa, and begin your studies.
The application and specialisation cannot be edited after submission, so review every field before you press send. To ask the Ministry directly: 8001189999 or [email protected] Cultural Scholarship Platform.
How does KD International help with the Cultural Scholarship?
In December 2024 the company announced that it provides its services free of charge to students wishing to enrol in the specialisations available under the Cultural Scholarship programs KD International on X. In practice that means matching your specialisation with the current lists on the platform, shortlisting Australian universities whose door is open in your field, preparing the university application until you hold a final, unconditional offer in the form the Ministry requires, and then guiding you on the visa and accommodation. The application on the Ministry of Culture’s platform is made by you from your own account.
Your practical next step: open the application form and state your target cultural specialisation and study level, or reach the team through contact us to learn which lists suit you today.
Frequently asked questions
14 fields: music, theatre, visual arts, filmmaking, literature and languages and linguistics, heritage and archaeology, culinary arts, design, fashion design, architecture, museums, libraries, food science and technology, and digital content. Any sub-specialisation under one of them is eligible.
They appear on the Cultural Scholarship Program list, but as at September 2026 the platform states that admission is stopped for all institutions on that list because seats are full. Check their status on the platform before applying.
The Australian National University (ANU), which is open to every specialisation in the program. The University of Sydney is added on the Excellence list for museum studies.
No. The pre-accepted track requires a final, unconditional offer from an approved institution in an approved specialisation. Secure the final offer first, then apply on the platform.
The application window is open all year for both tracks, but pre-accepted applicants must apply at least three months before their course starts. Results are announced in four rounds: June, August, October and December.
There is no age limit and no uniform grade set by the Ministry; the grade required is whatever the university you apply to demands.
No. According to the platform’s FAQ the program does not end in employment, and if you are employed, coordinating leave with your employer is your responsibility.
Yes. In December 2024 the company announced that it provides its services free of charge to students wishing to enrol in the specialisations available under the Cultural Scholarship programs.
Official sources
- برامج الابتعاث: الشروط والمزايا والتخصصات وقائمة المؤسسات التعليمية والأسئلة الشائعة — منصة الابتعاث الثقافي، وزارة الثقافة
- منصة الابتعاث الثقافي: الرئيسية — وزارة الثقافة
- الخطوات العملية — KD International
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
