Major milestone for new cultural institution ahead of first academic year starting in September 2026
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Riyadh University of Arts (RUA) has officially opened admissions for its inaugural student cohort, marking a major milestone in the launch of the Middle East and North Africa’s first university solely dedicated to arts and cultural education. The announcement made yesterday also reveals eight pioneering programs set to commence in September 2026, positioning RUA to become a new global destination for exceptional talent, cultural exchange and future-focused arts education.
Established in 2025 under the Saudi Ministry of Culture, RUA’s academic model integrates the arts, technology, and entrepreneurship within an interdisciplinary framework designed to prepare graduates for leadership across the global creative economy. The University aims to develop artists, performers, filmmakers, cultural leaders and creative entrepreneurs to shape industry standards internationally.
Applications are now open for programs across RUA’s four founding colleges: Film, Music, Theater and Performing Arts and Cultural Management. The University’s academic offering is built to integrate arts, technology and entrepreneurship, combining hands-on, industry-led learning with international collaboration and creative exchange.
Programs have been developed in collaboration with globally renowned academic institutions, including USC School of Cinematic Arts, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, AMDA College of the Performing Arts and ESSEC Business School. Through these partnerships, students will gain access to internationally informed curricula, industry engagement opportunities and diverse creative perspectives within a globally connected learning environment, ensuring RUA delivers an educational standard that competes with leading global arts universities.
Riyadh University of Arts is launching a prestigious scholarship program for the 2026–2027 academic year to attract and support outstanding talent from around the world, offering competitive awards across two scholarship categories.
- Exceptional Talent Scholarships, recognizing outstanding creative achievement and offer partial or full tuition support, excluding admission and application fees, for students enrolling in programs within the College of Film and the College of Cultural Management.
Awarded through a holistic admissions process that includes auditions, artistic portfolios and personal interviews, these scholarships also consider applicants’ achievements, awards and participation in competitions. They are designed to nurture students whose work demonstrates originality, artistic distinction and the potential to make meaningful contributions to the global cultural landscape.
- Specialization Scholarships, dedicated to students admitted to programs identified as strategic priority disciplines and provide full tuition coverage, excluding admission fees, for programs within the College of Music and the College of Theater and Performing Arts.
The scholarships are designed to empower emerging creatives to develop their skills, deepen their practice and pursue ambitious artistic and professional pathways within the global creative industries.
Noha Kattan, Deputy Minister for National Partnerships and Talent Development at the Saudi Ministry of Culture, said:
“RUA isn’t simply responding to regional demand. We’re building a global creative powerhouse that attracts and develops the world’s finest talent,” said Noha Kattan, Deputy Minister for National Partnerships and Talent Development at the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia.
“By combining world-class partnerships with industry-led learning and a distinctive grounding in Saudi culture, we’re creating a unique educational model that will shape the future of the global creative economy. This is about establishing Saudi Arabia as a center of creative excellence.”
As part of RUA’s long-term roadmap to position Saudi Arabia as a hub for creative leadership in the region and beyond, the University will continue expanding its academic offering in phases. In 2027, RUA is expected to launch three additional colleges: the College of Design and Architecture and the College of Visual Arts and Photography in partnership with the Royal College of Art (RCA), as well as the College of Heritage and Civilization Studies in partnership with SOAS University of London. These additions will further strengthen RUA’s international academic network and broaden opportunities for interdisciplinary cultural education.
By 2030, RUA aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem of 13 colleges spanning disciplines including fashion, culinary arts, museum studies and management, literature and language, libraries and manuscripts, and cultural education, creating a dynamic platform for artistic innovation, research, cultural dialogue and creative entrepreneurship.
For more information, visit rua.edu.sa.
Find Riyadh University of Arts on social media: X @RiyadhUniArts; Instagram @RiyadhUniArts; LinkedIn @RiyadhUniArts; YouTube @RiyadhUniArts; TikTok @RiyadhUniArts; Snapchat @RiyadhUniArt
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Contact: info@rua.edu.sa
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