Graphic design
4–5 years- You study
- Design basics, Typography
- Jobs
- Graphic designer
- Average for the arts and humanities field · Age 25–29
- 6,300SAR
Average monthly pay in the arts and humanities 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 Graphic designers and illustrators: 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 Graphic design taught?
Taught at 16 universities: 8 government and 8 private.
Riyadh
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityGovernment · men and women
- King Saud UniversityGovernment · men and women
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman UniversityGovernment · women
- Dar Al-Uloom UniversityPrivate
Makkah
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment · men and women
- University of JeddahGovernment · women
- Dar Al-Hekma UniversityPrivate · women
- Jeddah International CollegePrivate
- University of Business and TechnologyPrivate
Madinah
- Taibah UniversityGovernment · women
Qassim
- Mustaqbal UniversityPrivate
Eastern Province
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityGovernment
- Alasala CollegesPrivate
- Gulf CollegesPrivate
- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd UniversityPrivate · 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
| Graphic design | Interior design | Fashion design |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Arts and humanities | Arts and humanities | Arts and humanities |
| Length of study | ||
| 4–5 years | 4–5 years | 4–5 years |
| Taught at | ||
| 16 universities | 24 universities | 10 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Not found offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 88.5% | 88.5% | 88.5% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 10,319 | 10,319 | 10,319 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| — | minimal exposure | minimal exposure |
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 Graphic design students learn?
Designing images, logos, ads and visual content on the computer.
- Design basics
- Typography
- Motion graphics
- User experience design
In Arabic: التصميم الجرافيكي
How many years is Graphic design?
4–5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Graphic design graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Graphic designer
- Brand identity designer
- Interface designer
- Digital content designer
Computer work from an office or home, with busy days before deadlines.
What do Graphic design graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Arts and humanities” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the arts and humanities 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 3 or more marketing staff must have 60% Saudis among them. in force since April 2026 (Shawwal – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH) (binds firms, not individuals)6
- The job “Graphic designer” is moderately affected by AI (2 of 4). May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH) (occupation, not major)7
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Graphic designers” (BLS 27-1024), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Graphic designers and illustrators” (COPS 52120), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Arts and humanities”, 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, 19 January 2026 (30 Rajab 1447 AH).
- International Labour Organization · occupation code 2166, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).