Dentistry
6 years + internship- You study
- Oral anatomy
- Jobs
- Dentist, Resident dentist, Orthodontist
- Average for the health field · Age 25–29
- 10,500SAR
Average monthly pay in the health 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 Dentists: leaning to growth (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 Dentistry taught?
Taught at 25 universities: 18 government and 7 private.
Riyadh
- King Saud UniversityGovernment · men and women
- King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesGovernment · men and women
- Majmaah UniversityGovernment
- Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman UniversityGovernment · women
- Dar Al-Uloom UniversityPrivate
- Riyadh Elm UniversityPrivate · men and women
- Vision CollegesPrivate
Makkah
- King Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment
- Batterjee Medical CollegePrivate · men and women
- Ibn Sina National College for Medical StudiesPrivate
- Vision CollegesPrivate
Madinah
- Taibah UniversityGovernment · men
Qassim
- Qassim UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Buraydah Private CollegesPrivate · men and women
- Mustaqbal UniversityPrivate · men and women
Eastern Province
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityGovernment
- King Faisal UniversityGovernment
Asir
- King Khalid UniversityGovernment · men
Hail
- University of HailGovernment
Jazan
- Jazan UniversityGovernment · men and women
Najran
- Najran UniversityGovernment · men and women
Al-Baha
- Al-Baha UniversityGovernment
Al-Jouf
- Jouf UniversityGovernment · 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
| Dentistry | Optometry | Respiratory therapy |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Health and welfare | Health and welfare | Health and welfare |
| Length of study | ||
| 6 years + internship | 4–5 years + internship | 4 years + internship |
| Taught at | ||
| 25 universities | 3 universities | 15 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 93.5% | 93.5% | 93.5% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 12,437 | 12,437 | 12,437 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| — | — | 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 Dentistry students learn?
Study of the mouth, teeth and jaws, and how their conditions are treated.
- Oral anatomy
- Root canal treatment
- Orthodontics
- Oral surgery
In Arabic: طب الأسنان
How many years is Dentistry?
6 years, then an internship year (training after the degree). The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Dentistry graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Dentist
- Resident dentist
- Orthodontist
- Oral health researcher
Clinic work, mostly by day; some clinics open in the evening.
- Moderate physical effort
Professional classification and registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
What do Dentistry graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Health and welfare” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the health 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
- The private sector must have 55% Saudi dentists. in force since January 2026 (Rajab – Sha'ban 1447 AH) (binds firms, not individuals)6
- The job “Dentist” is little affected by AI. May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)7
- A goal of the Health Sector Transformation Program is to provide enough doctors, nurses and health practitioners (no number given). October 2021 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1443 AH) (announced target)8
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Dentists” (BLS 29-1020), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Dentists” (COPS 31110), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Health and welfare”, 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, 26 January 2025 (26 Rajab 1446 AH).
- International Labour Organization · occupation code 2261, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- Health Sector Transformation Program, 5 October 2021 (28 Safar 1443 AH).