Higher education in Saudi and Saudi students in western universities funded by government scholarships

Since the 1940s, Saudi Arabia has funded large-scale government scholarships for students to study abroad, significantly expanded in 2005 under King Abdullah. For years, Western degrees were seen as a clear pathway to success, with tens of thousands of Saudis—many of them women—studying at leading universities in North America, Europe, and Australasia.

That dynamic is now shifting. Enrollment of Saudis studying abroad peaked at around 100,000 in 2019 and has since fallen sharply. Tighter scholarship policies, concerns about safety and immigration abroad, growing domestic opportunities, and a strong inward cultural turn linked to Vision 2030 are all reshaping student choices.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia faces the need to expand higher education capacity by around 40% by 2030. Domestic universities are gaining credibility, particularly in STEM and AI, while the government and private investors are actively exploring international branch campuses and global partnerships. Riyadh is positioning itself as a new regional education hub, with industry-linked, modern curricula increasingly valued over traditional markers of prestige such as Western degrees or English-language credentials.

Top Universities in Saudi Arabia

1.   King Saud University

in Riyadh, the first university established in Saudi Arabia and is known for its strong research output and academic programs

2.   King Abdulaziz University

in Jeddah, recognized for its diverse programs and contributions to research and development

3.   King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

A graduate research university located in Thuwal, KAUST is renowned for its focus on science and technology and international collaborations

4.   King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)

Located in Dhahran, this university specializes in engineering and applied sciences, particularly in the energy sector.

5.   Umm Al-Qura University

Situated in Mecca, it offers a range of programs and is known for its Islamic studies and community engagement.

6.   Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

in Riyadh, focuses on Islamic studies and has a strong reputation in the field

7.   King Faisal University

in Al-Ahsa, offers various programs and is known for its research initiatives.

8.   King Khalid University

in Abha, provides a wide range of academic programs and has a growing reputation.

9.   Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

in Dammam, offers diverse programs and is known for its community involvement.

10.   Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University

The largest women's university in the world, located in Riyadh.

11.   Alfaisal University

Known for research excellence and emphasis on interdisciplinary learning across science, business, and humanities

12.   Prince Sultan University

A leading private Saudi university recognized for strong academic governance, industry collaboration, and a general education framework

13.   UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

a specialized institution with a focus on professional competency in business and technology

14.   EFFAT UNIVERSITY

A leading private university known for its strong liberal arts foundation and emphasis on interdisciplinary learning into creative and professional studies

15.   DAR AL HEKMA UNIVERSITY

a leading Saudi model emphasizing interdisciplinary learning, creativity, and alignment with national HE standards

Tips for Uber users to save money

Subscribe to Uber One

If you use Uber regularly for commuting, an Uber One membership can pay off. It costs 17 SAR/month (or 170 SAR/year) and I’m personally saving about 127 SAR every month. It’s definitely worth the 17 SAR membership fee. You can also start with a one-month free trial to see if it works for you.

Use Two Accounts (If You Have Two Phone Numbers)

If you have two mobile numbers, you can register a separate Uber account for each. This isn’t officially allowed by Uber, but it only works if you have two different numbers since your account is tied to your phone number. Doing this lets you enjoy the new user promotion (10% off) and the free Uber One trial twice.

Try “Wait & Save” When You’re Not in a Hurry

When you’re flexible with pick-up time (for example, when returning from work), choose “Book for now” instead of scheduling a future ride in advance. This gives you access to the “Wait & Save” option, which is usually cheaper than pre-booking.

Compare Prices When Booking in Advance

If you need to schedule your ride, check fares across a 30-minute window. Sometimes even a 1-minute difference in pick-up time can save you several riyals.

Booking rides in off-peak time

Whether you book for now or for later, try not book in peak time, eg. in evenings book after 7:30pm. I pre-booked a ride for 8:30pm, if I book it around 5pm the price is much higher than booking after 7:30pm.

Confirm when you see a low price 

If you use Uber for commuting and see a price which is lower than usual, confirm it immediately. If you hesitate, the price will likely go up quickly to the normal range.

Book in advance for peak hours

Uber fares are usually much higher during Monday morning rush hours and Friday evening rush hours. Book in advance if you travel during these periods. Don't rely on Wait & Save function for these periods.

Know How to Dispute a Charge

On rare occasions, you might be charged if the driver doesn’t show up (it happened to me once, someone else took my ride!). If that occurs to you, go to the “Help” section in the app to dispute the charge and request a refund. It helps to collect any evidence you can.

Li-po battery charging tips

avoid charging above 80% and discharging below 20% to maximize battery lifespan. While they can be charged to 100% and discharged to 0%, doing so puts stress on the battery and can accelerate capacity loss. 

Storing a LiPo battery around 40–50% charge is ideal for long-term storage, as high states of charge and high temperatures increase self-discharge and degradation.

Charging Guidelines

Avoid 100% Full Charges Regularly: Regularly charging to 100% creates high voltage stress, which degrades the battery faster. 

Consider an 80% Limit: A common recommendation is to charge your battery to around 80% if you don't need full runtime. 

Consider a 20-80% Range: For general use, keeping the battery between 20% and 80% State of Charge is a healthy range. 

Discharging Guidelines

Avoid Deep Discharges: Discharging the battery to 0% also creates stress and leads to more rapid capacity loss. 

Consider a 20% Limit: Do not let your battery discharge too far below 20%. 

Monitor Voltage and Temperature: These factors influence the battery's overall performance and longevity, so it's good to be aware of them. 

Storage Guidelines

Store at Reduced Charge:

For long-term storage, a LiPo battery should be stored at a moderate temperature and a reduced charge of around 3.8V to 4.0V per cell, which is roughly 40-50% capacity. 

Avoid Hot Environments:

High temperatures accelerate self-discharge and can degrade the battery faster. 

By following these guidelines, you can significantly prolong the life and preserve the performance of your LiPo batteries. 

Comparison of UK bank fees for receiving international payments

HSBC

Receiving Euros from the EEA: no fee

Receiving Less than £100 from outside the EEA: £5

Receiving More than £100 in another currency, or euros from outside the EEA: £5

Halifax and TSB fees are same

Payments in euros received from within the UK, EEA or via SEPA Credit Transfer: No fee

Receiving a payment up to and including £100: £2

Receiving a payment of over £100: £7

Kroo bank accounts cannot receive international payments

Loneliness

You can check your Loneliness level using the Loneliness Scale UCLA (psytests.org)

If you are dealing with feelings of loneliness that just don't go away, consider these tips:

1. Engage with other people in a positive, healthy way. Even though it may be difficult, try making the effort to connect with others. Volunteering, hobby clubs, workout groups, and other opportunities, can help boost self-esteem and provide a safe and satisfying way to connect with others.
2. Get some exercise and sunlight. Getting active and out in the sunshine can help elevate endorphins and serotonin. These “brain hormones” can boost mood, help improve sleep, and make people feel happier.

Chronic loneliness is not just about feeling alone; if left unchecked it can put you at risk for serious physical and emotional issues.

Google map is more accurate than Apple map

I've been using both Google Maps and Apple Maps for a while, and I've noticed that Google Maps tends to be more accurate, especially when it comes to navigating specific locations like buildings within large organisations, such as universities.

Frozen veg are healthier than canned veg

Both canned and frozen vegetables are typically processed within hours of being harvested. This helps preserve the nutrients, so frozen and canned veggies can often be healthier than fresh vegetables. They’re also usually picked and processed at the height of ripeness, while fresh produce from the grocery store may have been picked at an unripe stage, before they have fully developed their vitamins and minerals.

Canned and frozen vegetables may start out equally nutritious, but the processing makes a difference. Frozen produce is blanched (cooked in hot water quickly) and that affects the nutritional value slightly. Canning requires a lot more processing. Aside from certain fruits like tomatoes and pumpkins, canned goods are likely to have less nutritional value than frozen. If you take the canned vegetable route, make sure that you avoid varieties with added sugars or sodium. Also, many of the nutrients from canned vegetables stay in the the liquid. If you remove canned vegetables and drain them, you’re missing out on a lot of the nutrients.

Top 10 host countries for international students in 2023

Comparing smartwatches for adults (UK)

As I embark on my journey to choose my first standalone smartwatch to reduce my phone screen time, I've decided to invest in a standalone smartwatch that can replace my phone.

Understanding the Basics: LTE vs. Bluetooth

Before diving into the specifics, it's essential to understand the key difference between LTE and Bluetooth in smartwatches. LTE-enabled watches feature 4G connections through eSIMs, supporting both cellular calls (including wifi calling) and data use when wifi isn't available. This means you can use an LTE smartwatch independently from your phone. In contrast, Bluetooth smartwatches require a connected phone nearby for full functionality, limiting them to basic features like timekeeping and step counting when not connected to a smartphone. Naturally, LTE smartwatches tend to be more expensive than those with Bluetooth only.

Additional Criteria: NFC and GPS

Besides LTE connectivity, my criteria for selecting a smartwatch include NFC support for mobile payments through Google Pay or Apple Pay and built-in GPS for navigation without a phone.

Smartwatch Compatibility with Mobile Network Providers

The availability of LTE-enabled smartwatches varies significantly by country due to compatibility with mobile service providers. In the UK, only three brands (excluding kid's watches) offer LTE-enabled smartwatches: Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Google Pixel Watch. The compatibility with mobile service providers and international roaming options also varies, affecting the choice significantly.

Currently, EE, O2, Vodafone, and Three are the four main network providers in the UK offering monthly plans compatible with LTE smartwatches.

Brands and Models

As of April 2024, the following smartwatch models are on the market:

• Apple Watch: Available models include the Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Each model caters to different budgets and needs, with the SE being the most affordable, the Series 9 in the mid-range, and the Ultra 2 as the premium option.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch: The LTE variants available include Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch5 4G.
• Google Pixel Watch: The Google Pixel Watch 2 is currently available but has limited support among mobile service providers. Notably, EE and Vodafone both offer plans for the Pixel Watch, but to buy a Google Pixel Watch plan from Vodafone, you’ll need an Android phone (running Android 8.0 or later) on their plans. EE does not have this restriction. 

Making My Choice

After considering my options, I decided against the Apple Watch, primarily because both Apple and mobile network providers typically expect users to have an iPhone, which contradicts my goal of replacing my smartphone. Additionally, my current phone is a Motorola, which would not be compatible.

The Google Pixel Watch was also ruled out due to its limited compatibility with network providers and the specific requirement of having an Android phone on their plans.

Ultimately, I chose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which offers the independence I seek at a reasonable price. It's available for £289 on Amazon with a £7 monthly plan from a mobile network provider, making it an excellent choice for my needs.

I hope my journey will help you making your own choice on smartwatches.

Comparing train ticket split websites (UK)

When looking for the best deals on train travel, many turn to train ticket splitting websites. These platforms can help you save money by breaking down your journey into separate legs, potentially leading to cheaper overall ticket prices. Here are my insights into some of the available options.

Recommended

• TrainPal: accessible both via their website and through a mobile app. TrainPal does not charge any booking fees when you use their app. However, if you use their website, they will take a 12% charge of what you save, with a cap of £1.99. Users should be cautious of the app’s marketing tricks, which include referrals, promotional offers, and cashback games that often waste time. For instance, a promised £20 voucher may become elusive as the reward incrementally reduces to pennies, making it challenging to actually get the voucher. Additionally, the marketing claims are frequently overblown, delivering far less than promised.
• trainsplit.com, splityourticket.co.uk, and splitticketing.com all seem to offer identical pricing and UIs. I suspect these platforms use the same backend search engine. splitticketing.com charges £1 booking fee when you proceed to payment. trainsplit.com and splityourticket.co.uk don't charge booking fees. Their share of saving are same, which is 15% of what you save, but this is included in the costs you see when selecting tickets. trainsplit.com has better reviews on Trustpilot. Hence, I think this is the best platform among the three. Compared to TrainPal, these websites are more straightforward and less cluttered with distracting marketing.
• splitmyfare.co.uk search returns same (or slightly higher) costs than trainsplit.com and TrainPal app, but still cheaper than standard prices on NationalRail or train operators' websites.

Not Recommended

TrainTickets.com and Trainline split-ticketing feature: they tend to display prices that are comparable to those found directly on NationalRail or individual train operators’ websites. As such, they may not provide the cost savings that you are looking for.

Is Youtube not working on your Huawei matepad?

Experiencing trouble with YouTube on your Huawei MatePad? You're not alone. Fortunately, there are a few simple solutions you can try to get your videos playing smoothly again.

Solution 1: Install the YouTube App Through Gspace

One straightforward approach is to install the YouTube app from Gspace. This allows you to watch YouTube videos directly from the app without any hassle.

Solution 2: Opt for a Non-Chrome-Based Browser

Another effective workaround is to use a browser other than Chrome. Browsers like Microsoft Edge or Firefox have shown success in playing YouTube videos seamlessly on the MatePad.

Solution 3: Tweak Chrome Settings

If you're keen on using Chrome, simply change the browser's setting by navigating to Chrome://flags. Here, you'll need to disable the 'Android SurfaceControl' option. Don't forget to restart Chrome afterwards. Once done, try loading a YouTube video; it should now work without any issues.

Ranking of UK university league tables

There are three major league tables for UK universities: Complete University Guide (CUG), Times and Sunday Times (Times), and Guardian University Guide (Guardian). They use different metrics hence results for a same university differ a lot in these league tables. 

I found CUG is the most useful, not only because its metrics are comprehensive, taking teaching, research, and graduate prospects into consideration, but also it is freely available. Although Times league table's metrics are similar, it is usually behind a paywall. Having digged around, I found a free version of Times 2024 league table available here. Guardian league table does not including research metrics. It might be useful for students to choose their undergraduate study, but is less useful for postgraduate students and academics.

In terms of comprehensiveness and openness, I would rank these leagues tables below.

• CUG
• Times
• Guardian

World university rankings: THE, QS and ARWU, and QS league table bands

The most common world university league tables are QS, Times Higher Education (THE) and Shanghai Ranking Consultancy-the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). They use different metrics hence results for a same university differ a lot in these league tables. Universities tend to choose whichever league table they perform the best in their marketing materials.

The QS rankings put student experience at the top, emphasising the importance of a diverse and international student and staff community, student faculty ratio, and reputation from big employers. This ranking is perhaps suited to those who do not intend to do research after university, and go straight for the job market. Times THE rankings is a more research heavy split between research and student experience, where only teaching is weighted somewhat, and a very small weighting on diversity. This ranking is good for those who intend to go into research. ARWU is almost a purely research based ranking, given no consideration of teaching or student prospects. 

Personally, I think THE provides a more comprehensive picture of UK universities (103 UK institutions are ranked), comparing with 90 UK institutions in the QS league table. I would say THE is the most comprehensive ranking among the three, then QS, and ARWU is the least useful one.

QS world university ranking assesses around 4,700 institutions, but only publishes the ranking positions of those at the top of the range. In the QS, only the top 600 institutions are given individual ranking positions (the same applies to the top 200 in the Times Higher Education world ranking). After this, universities are grouped into bands, starting from 601-610 and continuing until 1401+.

It is worth to note that even making it to the lowest level of the world university rankings is an achievement, putting an institution within the top 2-5% worldwide. 

To be eligible for inclusion in the QS league table, a university must teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels (universities which teach postgraduate only are not eligible, e.g. Royal College of Art is not eligible for QS ranking), and conduct work in at least two of five possible subject areas (arts and humanities; engineering and technology; social sciences and management; natural sciences; life sciences and medicine). Similar criteria apply for the Times Higher Education ranking: institutions are excluded if they do not teach at undergraduate level, or if their research output falls below a certain threshold. 

Below, I used European universities as examples for each band in QS ranking.

• Individual rankings for top 600 universities
• 601-610 (interval of 10 until 800), e.g. Kingston University, London ranked 601-610
• 801-850 (interval of 50 until 1000), e.g. De Montfort University, UK ranked 801-850
• 1001-1200, e.g. University of Derby, UK
• 1201-1400, e.g. Norwegian University of Life Sciences 
• The lowest band is 1401+, e.g. Technische Universität Hamburg, Germany

h-index and academic titles

h-index scores between 3 and 5 feel common for assistant professors (lecturers), scores between 8 and 12 fairly standard for creation to the position of tenured associate professor (senior lecturers), and scores between 15 and 20 about right for coming a full professor. 

Be apprehensive, still, that these are gross generalisations and factual numbers vary tremendously among disciplines and fields there are. For example, professors in physics and life sciences disciplines have much higher h-index than those in social sciences, computer science, art and design. Numerous full professors, elders and chancellors with veritably low h-index scores, and an exceptional youthful experimenter with an h-index of 10 or 15 might possibly still be working on a post doctorate.

genshin: completed the Falcon's Hunt quest but missing the Temple of Gurabad chess piece

 If you find missing the Temple of Gurabad chess piece but you have completed the Falcon's Hunt quest already, chances are you have not open the chest at the end of that quest.

You need to go back to the location (where the blue arrow is, note it is underground). The chest should be there (where Yoimiya stands).

Minimal internal storage in a smartphone

Modern smartphones now ship with 32GB as a standard, and lower storage options than that are becoming hard to come by. Even most phones in the sub-$100 category will include at least 32GB of storage. With 32GB being the minimum, the standard choice for most smartphone companies has become 64GB.

Is Mabe a part of Penryn (Cornwall)?

Mabe is not a part of Penryn but a part of Cornwall. As shown in the map below, Mabe and Penryn are in different Parliamentary constituencies, polling districts, electoral divisions, and parishes.

PPI

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) 

Cornwall constituency map