King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (abbreviated KFUPM) is a prestigious Saudi university founded in 1963 and located in Dhahran, adjacent to the city. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is known for its natural sciences and engineering specialties, with strengths in subjects such as mathematics and statistics. In the 2015-2016 QS World University Rankings, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals was ranked 199th.

King Saud University (King Saud University) is a public university in Saudi Arabia, founded in 1957, originally known as Riyadh University, changed to its current name in 1982. In the 2015 Times Asian University Rankings, King Saud University ranked 72nd.