Established in 2002 and opened to students four years later, Alfaisal University is part of a group of new private, not-for-profit universities in Saudi Arabia. It is located in the centre of Riyadh, the capital city, the population of which grew at an unprecedented rate towards the end of the 20th century. The country’s political and economic centre, and one of the richest cities globally, its many skyscrapers offer views of surrounding desert. But at heart Riyadh remains traditional and not particularly Westernised. Its climate means that temperatures can fluctuate significantly throughout the year.
AU teaches in English, which is also spoken by many locals, and is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s top universities for academic performance and quality of teaching.
AU’s College of Medicine is the biggest of the five colleges that make up the institution, the others being the Colleges of Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Science and General Studies, the last of which also offers courses in humanities and social sciences. As well as accounting, finance and human resources, the College of Business runs specialised courses including chartered financial analysis and certified management accounting.
