ISLAMABAD: Six hundred Pakistanis will receive fully funded Saudi scholarships to join top universities in the Kingdom, Pakistan’s ambassador to Riyadh said on Wednesday, as he encouraged students to take up the opportunity.

The scholarship initiative, which was announced by the Kingdom last year, was launched by the Saudi Ministry of Education earlier this week. It includes 25 universities that will receive students pursuing diploma, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies in political science, economics, engineering, computer sciences, law, agriculture and Islamic studies.

The program covers tuition fee, monthly stipend, lodging facility, return tickets, three-month furnishing allowance for married students, medical care, and a monthly stipend of between 850 and 900 riyals.

The students will join their respective programs in the Kingdom in September-October.

“We encourage Pakistani students to avail these scholarships,” Ambassador Ameer Khurram Rathore told Arab News over the phone from Riyadh.

“We are grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for providing 600 fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students,” he said. “Educational linkages between the two countries will further solidify our brotherly relations.”

According to the scholarship details published by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, 75 percent of the students will be awarded scholarships from Pakistan, while 25 percent will be Pakistanis residing in the Kingdom.

The commission said students could directly apply for admission by visiting websites of Saudi universities.

“The university will forward the application to the Saudi Ministry of Education which will then decide the final award of scholarships to eligible applicants,” the HEC said, adding that both male and female students could apply.

They should be between 17 and 25 years old for BA program, below 30 for MA, and less than 35 for PhD.