governmental university, but in 1391 AH it was transformed into a governmental university. The university includes about 53,000 students. The Dhahran-based King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals began as a college in 1383 AH, but it was developed into a university in 1395 AH. The university includes ten colleges with more than 10,000 students. On 11/3/1419 AH, a Royal decree was issued to establish King Khaled University in Abha. In 1424 AH, a Royal approval was issued for the establishment of three universities, namely: Qassim University, Taif University and Taiba University. The Saudi universities have been positively contributing to the development of scientific research, and they have been active at the scientific conferences. Meanwhile, an approval was issued for the establishment of non-profitable private colleges in some regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
