The landscape of higher education is changing fast, especially in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, under its Vision 2030 framework, is aggressively pursuing knowledge economy goals.
For UK universities, this presents a compelling opportunity: to open branch campuses or partner with Saudi institutions not just for Transnational Education (TNE), but full physical campuses, research collaborations, and dual-program models. But the opportunity comes with a complex legal, regulatory, and immigration environment. Institutions that understand both sides can succeed and those that don’t risk costly missteps.
Below is a comprehensive guide to what UK universities and schools should know, what must be done, what to avoid, and how to make such ventures work.
Why Saudi Arabia? Demand, Strategy & Market Pull
- Strong Governmental Commitment under Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia considers education, research, and human capital development central to its transformation away from oil dependency. Policies are explicitly designed to attract top foreign institutions to upgrade quality of offerings domestically.
- Growing Demand for Quality, International Education: Saudi students have traditionally gone abroad for top-quality degrees; there is a growing preference to have globally respected education close to home, minimizing costs, family disruption, and exchange rate risk. There is evidence of strong interest in UK TNE programmes.
- Regulatory Opening / Legal Framework Evolutions: Up until recently, foreign branch campuses were rare; but Saudi has now approved the “Executive Regulation to open foreign university branches” (or “Implementing Regulations for establishing branches of foreign universities”) with detailed provisions.
- Skill Gaps & Economic Diversification: Saudi’s labour market is evolving: there are fields of national priority (STEM, AI, engineering, healthcare, sustainable energy etc.) where demand outstrips domestic supply of qualified educational institutions. UK institutions can add value in those gaps.
- Cost Savings & Accessibility for Students: Many Saudi students find the cost (tuition + living) of studying abroad increasingly burdensome. A top-quality UK campus in Saudi could offer locally-priced access to UK credentials. Also, cultural, linguistic, family, and religious factors make domestic campuses attractive.
Legal & Regulatory Landscape: What’s in Place
Here are the key regulatory elements UK universities need to understand when considering opening a campus:
Immigration & Staffing: Visas, Work Permits, Verification
Building and running a branch campus requires bringing in expatriate academic staff, administrative leadership, sometimes visiting professors. Here are steps & considerations:
- Work Permits / Visa Categories: Teachers, professors, researchers considered “foreign academics” will need work permits, iqama (residency permit), etc. These are treated under Saudi labour law; requirements include proof of qualifications, prior experience, verification via Saudi platforms. There is now a Qualification Verification Program (QVP) which ensures that qualifications claimed by foreign nationals are authentic and acceptable.
- Skill-Based Classification: Saudi recently introduced a more structured, skill-based classification for foreign workers. Academic staff will likely be in higher‐skilled categories. Immigration authorities will look at degrees, experience, possibly research record, publications. Employers (i.e. the campus) must sponsor employees.
- Compliance with Saudization / Local Hiring: There is increasing pressure for employing Saudi nationals where possible. Even in university settings, for certain roles or disciplines, institutions are encouraged (or mandated) to advertise to Saudis first. If no suitable local hires are found, foreign appointments become possible. For branch campuses, it's strategic to build a pipeline of Saudi academics.
- Professional Licensing / Accreditation: For certain specialized roles (e.g. engineering, health sciences) staff members may need local accreditation or licensing (or dual recognition). Also, facilities need to meet local regulatory body requirements.
- Employee Immigration Process
- Document attestation (degrees, transcripts)
- Verification via QVP when required
- Apply via employer for work visa, establish iqama (residency permit)
- Health checks, background checks, possibly registering professional body membership
- Renewals, dependents, etc.
- Timelines & Uncertainties: Government approvals (for campus license, program approvals) can take many months. Visa processes for foreign academics can also be subject to delay due to document verification, quotas, Saudization assessments. Planning must allow for these lead times.
What UK Universities / Schools should ask / look for
Before committing, institutions should carefully evaluate the following:
- Regulatory Fit: Are the programs you want to offer permitted under Saudi approved lists? Is there alignment between the home university’s accreditation and Saudi’s evaluation commission requirements?
- Quality Assurance: Can you replicate or maintain home-campus academic standards (faculty quality, research output, labs, library, student support)?
- Local Demand & Market Analysis: Which cities are least served? What programs (STEM, business, healthcare, arts) have current unmet demand? Also, pricing sensitivity (tuition, living costs) among Saudi students.
- Partnerships: Potential partners (local universities, private entities, government) can help with regulatory navigation, facilities, hiring.
- Cultural and Curriculum Requirements: You’ll need to embed Saudi national identity in curricula, compliance with teaching of Arabic and Islamic studies (where required), respect cultural norms (gender segregation where required, staff familiarization).
- Costs & Funding Model: Real estate, staffing (especially high cost for home-country importing academics), regulatory fees, scholarships, financial aid, risk of exchange-rate fluctuations; also, financial guarantees required by the MOE.
- Risk Factors: Regulatory changes, shifts in government priorities, competition from other foreign universities, reputational risk if branch underperforms, political risk, employee retention, licensing hurdles.
Dos & Don'ts: Best Practices
Here are practical “Dos & Don’ts” to help avoid pitfalls:
Do:
- Start with a feasibility study: legal, financial, cultural, academic, student market.
- Engage early with Saudi MOE / University Affairs Council: map out the licensing pathway, understand documentation required.
- Build local presence / hire local management: ensure you have leaders on the ground who understand Saudi legal, cultural, business environment.
- Ensure institution home office is ready for oversight: governance, QA, financial controls, audit, staff training.
- Prioritize programs aligned with national priorities (e.g. technology, renewable energy, healthcare), where government support or funding may be more available.
- Plan for local accreditation as well as international recognition.
- Build strong immigration compliance in advance (visa, degree attestation, QVP etc.), with sufficient buffers for delays.
- Consider pilot offerings or smaller scale first (e.g. foundation year, postgraduate, executive education) before full undergraduate campus.
Don’t:
- Don’t assume that home-campus regulatory / accreditation automatically suffices; local Saudi approvals will be required.
- Don’t underbudget for non-academic costs (infrastructure, facilities, legal, local operational costs).
- Don’t ignore cultural / regulatory demands (e.g. language, gender segregation, local bylaws).
- Don’t try to copy the UK campus model wholesale; adapt to local demand and regulatory context.
- Don’t hire overseas faculty without verifying their qualifications, understanding local permit and licensing requirements, or assuming visa issuance will be smooth.
- Don’t neglect long-term sustainability (student enrolment risk, competition, regulatory changes).
Immigration Process: Key Steps & Practical Advice
To put flesh on immigration / staffing side, here’s a step-by-step guide and checklist:
- Define roles and plan staffing mix (which roles need foreign staff vs local)
- Recruitment and selection: academic credentials, prior experience, research output.
- Degree & credential verification / attestation: home university documents, transcripts; sometimes ministries or Saudi cultural missions need to attest. Use QVP where required.
- Work visa / iqama application: employer (branch or legal entity in Saudi) sponsors; ensures compliance with labour law, salary thresholds (if applicable), categorisation of skill level.
- Professional licensing if needed: whether engineering, medical, health sciences etc.
- Cultural orientation & compliance: ensuring foreign staff know local laws, customs, dress code, segregation norms, religious practices.
- Handling dependents / family visas: policies about bringing dependents, schooling etc.
- Renewals & auditing: visa renewals; periodic review of staff performance, compliance; ensure ongoing accreditation, monitoring, documentation.
What to Watch Out For / Risks
- Regulatory Change Risk: Although law has caught up recently, implementing regulations might change; authorizations could tighten.
- Competition & Saturation: As more foreign branch campuses arrive, competition for students (especially in popular disciplines) may increase, leading to pressure on pricing, scholarship support.
- Reputational Risk: If a branch is poorly resourced (or under-staffed, or degree recognition issues), it could reflect badly on the home institution.
- Financial Risks: Currency fluctuations; underestimating local operating costs (utilities, staff premium for expatriates, infrastructure, legal/compliance).
- Cultural / Social Norms: Sensitivities around gender, religion, public norms are real. For example, in some settings physical segregation, or different behaviour expectations for faculty.
- Visa / Immigration Delays: Even with clear rules, document attestation, degree verification (e.g. via QVP), professional licensing can take time.
- Local Talent Retention: Ensuring local faculty and staff are developed, since Saudization and local hiring policies are increasingly emphasised.
- Accreditation & Recognition: Ensuring that degrees are recognized both in Saudi (for local employment and further study) and internationally (if students may move abroad).
What Success Looks Like
For UK institutions that navigate well, success could manifest as:
- A campus with strong student numbers within 3–5 years, offering signature degree programmes, staffed by high calibre faculty, globally recognised.
- Research output and collaboration with local industry / government, bringing in funding, enhancing reputation.
- A sustainable financial model: mix of tuition, possibly government or private partnerships, maybe scholarships.
- Good integration with Saudi higher education ecosystem: joint programmes, dual degrees, credit transfer.
- Positive student experience: combining UK academic quality with cultural responsiveness and local value.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia is no longer just a market for exporting students; it's becoming a market for exporting institutions. For UK universities, the window is open: legal frameworks are being laid down; demand is strong; the strategic fit with Vision 2030 is clear. But opportunity won’t sustain if approached naively.
Institutions that invest time in due diligence, align with local priorities, build local presence, and respect regulatory, cultural, and immigration requirements will be the ones that lead the next wave of global campuses.
At Hudson McKenzie, we advise institutions on immigration, regulatory structuring, compliance, and risk management, to make sure expansion into new jurisdictions is both legally robust and strategically sound. If you’re considering taking this path, I’d be very happy to discuss specific programmes or cities or help you map out a full launch plan.
Contact and Disclaimer
Should you have any questions regarding the above information, or require assistance with your immigration or global mobility matters, please don’t hesitate to contact our legal team at Hudson McKenzie. You can reach us by email at gccinfo@hudsonmckenzie.com or by telephone at +44 (0) 20 3318 5794.
For office locations, please visit our Our Offices page.
The information provided in this blog is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.
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