For the first time in its history, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran has welcomed female students to undertake bachelor's degree courses.

The university declared on Monday that it would begin accepting applications from female students between June 13 and June 18, this year. Preferences will be offered to those students who will demonstrate strong skills, academic accomplishments, and high school test results. During the admissions process, students will get an opportunity to select their major subject, and the university can schedule workshops and lectures to expose them to different specializations during the tenure of their courses.

The university decided to admit women as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to encourage and qualify more and more women in all areas of expertise. Earlier this year, the minister of education declared that the university senate had approved the admission of women to post-graduate studies. The university decision enabled female students to earn master's and doctoral degrees in five disciplines: mathematics, analytics, computer engineering and sciences, public administration, and engineering management.

About 33,000 students have graduated from the university. It consists of eight colleges and was the Kingdom's first higher education college to teach science and technology. On September 1, 2019, the university began accepting applications from female students for postgraduate courses. Around 100 female students have enrolled in the university's mathematics, computer science, and business administration courses since being chosen from a pool of over 600 candidates.