The SR15 billion university, to be built on the eastern suburbs of Riyadh, will have a capacity to enroll about 40,000 students. It  will offer courses in subjects that women find difficulty studying at universities where strict gender segregation is enforced.

On arrival at the construction site, King Abdullah was received by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al Assaf, Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al Anqari, government officials and other members of the royal family.

“This is a milestone in the kingdom’s history, particularly in the history of women’s education. The campus would include an administration building, a central library, conference centers, buildings for 15 academic faculties, several laboratories and a 700-bed hospital equipped with state-of-the-art facilities,” Al Assaf said.

“Some areas in the campus would be allocated for research in nanotechnology, bio-sciences and information technology in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology,” he said.

He added that the campus, spread over eight million sq. metres, would also include housing for university staff, mosques, a school, a kindergarten and exclusive amusement centers for families and students.

He explained that in line with the king’s directions, the university would have a high-tech transport system with automatic and computer-controlled vehicles linking all important facilities at the campus round the clock.

Al Anqari said that the university’s design is environment-friendly. He expressed thanks to King Abdullah for launching the project. “The king’s presence here shows his generous support for women empowerment in Saudi Arabia and his keen desire to promote higher education,” he said.