Mechanical engineering
5 years- You study
- Thermodynamics, Fluid mechanics
- Jobs
- Mechanical engineer, Maintenance engineer
- 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 Mechanical engineers: 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 Mechanical engineering taught?
Taught at 31 universities: 24 government and 7 private.
Riyadh
- Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityGovernment · men
- King Saud UniversityGovernment · men
- Majmaah UniversityGovernment
- Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Shaqra UniversityGovernment · men
- Alfaisal UniversityPrivate
Makkah
- King Abdulaziz UniversityGovernment
- Taif UniversityGovernment
- Umm Al-Qura UniversityGovernment
- University of JeddahGovernment · men
- University of Business and TechnologyPrivate
Madinah
- Islamic University of MadinahGovernment · men
- Taibah UniversityGovernment · men
- Yanbu Industrial CollegePrivate
Qassim
- Qassim UniversityGovernment · men
Eastern Province
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and MineralsGovernment
- King Faisal UniversityGovernment
- University of Hafr Al BatinGovernment
- Al-Fayha CollegePrivate
- Alasala CollegesPrivate
- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd UniversityPrivate · men and women
Asir
- King Khalid UniversityGovernment · men
- University of BishaGovernment
Tabuk
- University of TabukGovernment
- Fahad Bin Sultan UniversityPrivate
Hail
- University of HailGovernment
Northern Borders
- Northern Border UniversityGovernment · men and women
Jazan
- Jazan UniversityGovernment · men and women
Najran
- Najran UniversityGovernment · men
Al-Baha
- Al-Baha UniversityGovernment
Al-Jouf
- Jouf UniversityGovernment · men
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
| Mechanical engineering | Chemical engineering | Electrical 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 | ||
| 31 universities | 19 universities | 38 universities |
| Men | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| 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 Mechanical engineering students learn?
Studies the design and operation of machines, engines and cooling and air-conditioning systems.
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- Machine design
- Materials science
In Arabic: الهندسة الميكانيكية
How many years is Mechanical engineering?
5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Mechanical engineering graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Mechanical engineer
- Maintenance engineer
- HVAC engineer
- Design engineer
Factories, plants and workshops; some run shifts.
- Mixed
- Sometimes shifts
- Sometimes outside the city
- Moderate physical effort
Professional classification from the Saudi Council of Engineers.
What do Mechanical engineering 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
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Mechanical engineers” (BLS 17-2141), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Mechanical engineers” (COPS 21301), 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 2144, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).