Saudi Gazette report

DHAHRAN — For the first time since its inception about 55 years ago, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran will open its doors for women students from next academic year, Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The decision was taken by the university's senate and was announced by Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa who described it as "historic".

He said the decision was within the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which called for the empowering of women and qualifying them in all specializations.

"For the first time in the history of the university, the senate has approved the acceptance of women students in post-graduate studies," he added.

In a tweet, Al-Issa said the female students will be able to do their master's and PhD degrees in five subjects including mathematics, statistics, computer engineering and sciences, public administration and engineering management.

More than 33,000 students have so far graduated from the university, which has eight colleges and was the first higher education institution in the Kingdom to teach science and technology.

The senate started considering the acceptance of women students in the university in 2011.

Rector Khaled Al-Sultan said the senate's decision will further boost the university's inclination to become a research institution.