We list 4 fully Funded Masters Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Saudi Arabia, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 3 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants.
Written from the 4 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 4 fully funded master's scholarships in Saudi Arabia that are open to Nigerian students. Every award here is a master's-level award, and every one of them is labelled fully funded by the university that offers it. The providers are four separate Saudi institutions: King Abdulaziz University, the Islamic University of Madinah, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
The same universities also run awards at other levels — 3 of the awards in this set of providers are also open at PhD level, and 2 at bachelor's level. If you are weighing up whether to apply now for a master's or wait, those numbers tell you the same institutions recruit at more than one level, so a rejected master's application is not the end of the relationship.
The four awards, with their internal pages:
Four awards is a short list, and it is worth treating it that way. You are not choosing between dozens of options; you are deciding which of four institutions fits your degree, your field and your documents.
All 4 awards are labelled fully funded. Beyond that label, the award texts themselves name specific benefits, and the counts differ:
Read that carefully before you plan. "Fully funded" is the university's own description, but what each award spells out in writing varies. One award may cover your living costs and accommodation while another names only living costs. Travel is the least commonly named benefit here, so if you are budgeting for a flight from Lagos or Abuja, check the individual award page rather than assuming the flight is included. Where an award does not name a benefit in its own text, this page does not claim it for them.
Of the 4 awards on this page, 3 are open to Nigerian applicants. None of those 3 names Nigeria or the African region specifically — they are open because they carry no nationality restriction at all. For the remaining award, eligibility is not stated on the award itself, so you would need to confirm directly with the university before spending money on a transcript or a courier.
The qualification you bring is a first degree or HND. The awards at this level recognise B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS and HND. These are taught and research master's programmes, and awards in this set usually state a minimum class of degree. On a Nigerian transcript, "upper second" corresponds to Second Class Upper, which you will see written as 2:1. Whether an HND is accepted in place of a degree is decided by each university individually — it is not a blanket rule, so ask before you apply.
The requirements the awards state in their own text fall as follows:
The recommendation letters are the one item every single award asks for, and they are also the item Nigerian applicants most often leave late. Approach your lecturers or your head of department early, give them your CV and your statement of purpose, and give them a deadline that is earlier than the real one. If your referee is a busy HOD who travels, two weeks' notice is not enough.
On the English test: 3 of the 4 awards state a score requirement. If you studied your first degree in English, ask the admissions office whether a waiver applies to your case — some universities grant one, and the award page will tell you what that university accepts. Do not assume a waiver; confirm it in writing.
Only 1 award states work experience as a requirement, so a fresh graduate with a strong 2:1 is not shut out of this list.
None of the 4 awards on this page carries a fixed closing date in the way a typical European scholarship does. All 4 are undated in that sense. What the individual pages say instead:
Two of the four are effectively rolling, which sounds generous but is a trap. Rolling admission still means places fill, and it still means your documents must be complete before anyone looks at them. KAUST is the exception with two hard dates, and those dates are the ones to build your calendar around if KAUST is your target.
A master's in this system runs for 2 years. For context, an undergraduate degree runs 4 years and a PhD 3 years. Two years is a real commitment — it is two years of your life in a country with a different climate, a different academic culture and a different language environment. Factor that in before you apply, not after you are admitted.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 1,338 Nigerian students were studying in Saudi Arabia in 2024, ranking the country 14th as a destination for Nigerian students. That is a modest but established community. It means there are people ahead of you who have already done the transcript run, the courier, the visa file and the arrival. It does not mean the process is easy, and it does not mean places are guaranteed — it means you are not the first.
Start with the award that matches your degree and your field, and read its page in full before you do anything else.
Then do the unglamorous work in this order: confirm with each university whether your class of degree and your HND or degree meet their minimum; request your transcript from your Nigerian institution and start the courier process, because that is the slowest step; ask your referees for the four recommendation letters; and book your IELTS or TOEFL if the award requires a score and no waiver applies to you. Only 3 of the 4 awards here are confirmed open to Nigerian applicants, so confirm eligibility before you pay for anything.
Saudi Arabia is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education among international students. With top-ranked universities, Islamic culture, and generous government support, it offers some of the best fully funded scholarships in the Muslim world. These scholarships are ideal for students who want to pursue Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD programs in a welcoming academic environment with full financial coverage.
The Saudi government and various universities offer scholarships that cover tuition, living costs, accommodation, healthcare, travel, and more. These programs aim to attract talented individuals from Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, and offer opportunities to grow academically and professionally.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2024.
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