Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Power, signals, electronics and control — the least visible engineering discipline and the one everything else now depends on. Also the most mathematical of the mainstream engineering degrees.
- How long
- Four to five years, with a preparatory year common in the Kingdom.
- Called
- BEng · MEng · BSc Electrical Engineering · بكالوريوس الهندسة الكهربائية
What you actually study
As opposed to what the name suggests.
- Circuit theory and electronics, from first principles to working designs.
- Electromagnetics — the hardest mathematics in undergraduate engineering, and unavoidable.
- Signals and systems, plus digital signal processing: the mathematics behind every communication system.
- Power systems: generation, transmission, grids and protection — the part that runs a country.
- Control theory, embedded systems and programming, which is why this degree overlaps so heavily with computing.
The hardest part
Electromagnetics and signals are abstract in a way mechanical engineering rarely is: you cannot see the thing you are analysing, and intuition does not rescue a weak grasp of the mathematics. Students who enjoy the abstraction find this the most intellectually satisfying engineering degree; students who wanted to build visible things sometimes find they chose the wrong one.
What you need to get in
By school system. Requirements are set by individual universities and change — confirm on the course page for the year you apply.
Saudi curriculum track
requiredمسار علوم الحاسب والهندسة — Computer Science and Engineering
The engineering track, with the mathematics and physics components of Tahsili carrying the composite. English-medium instruction is standard at the engineering colleges.
A-Level
requiredMathematics · Physics
helpsFurther Mathematics · Computer Science
Further Mathematics is worth more here than in most engineering disciplines, because the degree is more mathematical.
IB Diploma
requiredMathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL · Physics HL
helpsComputer Science
AA HL rather than AI HL. Electrical engineering departments are among the least likely to accept Applications and Interpretation.
Advanced Placement
helpsAP Calculus BC · AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism · AP Physics C: Mechanics · AP Computer Science A
Physics C: E&M is the single most relevant AP for this degree and the one that most often earns credit towards it.
IGCSE
Extended-tier mathematics and separate-science physics, with Additional Mathematics if it is offered.
Tests and other gates
- ESAT or TMUAOctober
Required at Cambridge and Imperial; not required by most universities.
- Qudurat and TahsiliGrade 11 and 12
The Saudi admission composite for engineering colleges.
- IELTS, TOEFL or STEPBefore enrolment
Determines whether a preparatory year is required at English-medium engineering colleges.
What closes this door
- Without mathematics and physics at A-Level or HL, this degree is closed almost everywhere.
- Accreditation matters for Saudi Council of Engineers registration; an unaccredited foreign programme can block practice here.
Where it leads
Careers written up on this site, and the reason each one follows from this degree.
- Electrical Engineer
The direct destination — power systems, electronics, industrial control and utilities.
- Defence Systems Engineer
Radar, communications and electronic systems, a growing localisation priority in the Kingdom.
- Renewable Energy Engineer
Solar, grid integration and storage — where the demand in Saudi energy is moving.
- Aerospace Engineer
Avionics and electrical systems, which are an increasing share of every aircraft.
- Software Engineer
Embedded and systems software; electrical graduates move into software far more easily than the reverse.
- Biomedical Engineer
Medical instrumentation and imaging hardware.
- Petroleum Engineer
Instrumentation and control in the energy sector, a large employer here.
- Security Operations Analyst
Industrial control system security, where understanding the physical system is the scarce half.
And, without a page here yet
- Telecommunications and network engineering
- Semiconductor and chip design
- Robotics and automation
- Utilities, grid operation and energy regulation
- Instrumentation and process control
What it is not
- That it is only about wiring and power. Electronics, signal processing and embedded systems are the larger part, and the degree is closer to computing than most people assume.
- That computer science is the better route into technology. Electrical graduates compete for software roles and hold a hardware understanding that computer science graduates do not.
- That it is less employable than mechanical. Power, grid and electronics demand is structurally strong and rising with electrification.
In Saudi Arabia
Electrification, grid expansion, renewable capacity and the defence localisation programme all rest on this discipline, and all four are funded national priorities. The Saudi Electricity Company, the utilities, Aramco, the defence sector and the giga-projects are all substantial employers. Saudi Council of Engineers registration is required to practise, and accreditation of a foreign degree should be confirmed before enrolling.
Consider instead
Same interest, different trade-off — the most useful section on this page and the easiest to skip.
- Mechanical EngineeringBroader and more physical, with more employers and less abstraction.
- Computer ScienceThe software half without the hardware, and a shorter route into technology employment.
- PhysicsThe same mathematics without the design constraints or the accreditation.
- Aerospace EngineeringA narrower application of much of the same content.
The parts that go out of date
Entry requirements are the fastest-moving information on this site. These are the statements most likely to have changed.
- IB Maths AI HL acceptance for electrical engineering is unusually restrictive and varies by department.
- Accreditation requirements for Council registration change and should be verified directly.
Where this came from
Admission patterns stated by accredited engineering schools in the UK, the Gulf and the US, all of which name mathematics and physics. Saudi Council of Engineers registration governs practice in the Kingdom.
Last checked 2026-09-06. The requirements above describe the pattern across universities, not any one of them — the course page for the year you apply is the only thing that is ever authoritative.