Architecture
5 years- You study
- Architectural design, Architecture history
- Jobs
- Architect, Interior designer
- Average for the engineering field · Age 25–29
- 11,200SAR
Average monthly pay in the engineering field for Saudi bachelor’s holders, GASTAT Labour Force Survey 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3; many earn less. Pay in a first job is usually lower.
Forecasts published in other countries for the occupation Architects: roughly stable (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH); Employment and Social Development Canada, June 2025 · Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 – Muharram 1447 AH)1,2. They are not a forecast for the Saudi market, nor by DataPulse.
Where is Architecture taught?
Taught at 27 universities: 15 government and 12 private.
Riyadh
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityGovernment · men
- King Saud UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Majmaah UniversityGovernment
- Al Yamamah UniversityPrivate
- Alfaisal UniversityPrivate
- Dar Al-Uloom UniversityPrivate
- Prince Sultan UniversityPrivate · women
Makkah
- King Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment · men
- Dar Al-Hekma UniversityPrivate · women
- Effat UniversityPrivate
- University of Business and TechnologyPrivate
Madinah
- Taibah UniversityGovernment · men
- Prince Mugrin bin Abdulaziz UniversityPrivate · men and women
Qassim
- Qassim UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Buraydah Private CollegesPrivate · men and women
- Onaizah CollegesPrivate
Eastern Province
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityGovernment
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and MineralsGovernment
- Al Yamamah UniversityPrivate
- Alasala CollegesPrivate
- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd UniversityPrivate · women
Asir
- King Khalid UniversityGovernment · men and women
- University of BishaGovernment
Hail
- University of HailGovernment
Jazan
- Jazan UniversityGovernment · men and women
Najran
- Najran UniversityGovernment · men and women
From university pages, admission guides and the Ministry’s Study in Saudi platform4. Gender is tagged where the university publishes it per programme.
Compare with…
A side-by-side view, not a judgement that one major is better. Figures are for the broad field, so two majors in one field share the same figures. Figures: bachelor’s, both sexes, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)35
| Architecture | Civil engineering | Surveying and geomatics engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction | Engineering, manufacturing and construction | Engineering, manufacturing and construction |
| Length of study | ||
| 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Taught at | ||
| 27 universities | 35 universities | 3 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Not confirmed |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 95.4% | 95.4% | 95.4% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 16,042 | 16,042 | 16,042 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| minimal exposure | not exposed | — |
Availability for men and women from university pages and the Ministry’s programmes platform; last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
What do Architecture students learn?
Studies designing buildings and spaces that are attractive, safe and fit for use.
- Architectural design
- Architecture history
- Drawing and modelling
- Building technology
In Arabic: العمارة
How many years is Architecture?
5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Architecture graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Architect
- Interior designer
- Architectural drafter
- Project supervisor
You design in an office and visit sites; busier near deadlines.
- Some travel
Professional classification from the Saudi Council of Engineers.
What do Architecture graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Engineering, manufacturing and construction” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the engineering field?
Unemployment among Saudi graduates of the field (bachelor’s, all ages)3:
For the whole field, not this major alone. Past measurement, not a forecast.
Official decisions and signals
- Firms with 5 or more engineers must have 30% Saudis among them. in force since June 2026 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 – Muharram 1448 AH) (binds firms, not individuals)6
- The job “Architect” is only slightly affected by AI. May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)7
- Target: 70% of Saudi families owning their homes by 2030. in force since December 2030 (Sha'ban – Ramadan 1452 AH) (announced target)8
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Architects, except landscape and naval” (BLS 17-1011), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Architects” (COPS 21200), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Engineering, manufacturing and construction”, 2024 (1445–1446 AH).
- Programme pages on university websites, last checked 26 October 2026 (15 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
- International Labour Organization, global index of occupational exposure to generative AI, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- Ministry of Human Resources, 31 December 2025 (11 Rajab 1447 AH).
- International Labour Organization · occupation code 2161, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- Saudi Vision 2030, 6 June 2024 (29 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1445 AH).