Building a university from the ground up in Saudi Arabia
The Center for International Research, Education, and Development brings Virginia Tech expertise to an ambitious new academic venture.
From the sands of Saudi Arabia, a new university is rising — one with a bold and integrated vision for the future. At the heart of its design is Virginia Tech.
Through the Center for International Research, Education, and Development, Virginia Tech is serving as a core development partner for the institution being created by the Almoosa Group, a prominent Saudi health care provider. Instead of offering one-off consulting, Virginia Tech is co-designing the new university from the ground up, guiding everything from curriculum and faculty development to accreditation and long-term partnerships.
“This collaboration with Almoosa is a powerful example of Virginia Tech’s commitment to building global partnerships that strengthen communities through education, innovation, and engagement. It exemplifies the university’s land-grant mission on a global scale,” said Tom Archibald, the center’s executive director.
Almoosa leaders saw a need for more diverse higher education options in the region and set out to build a university defined by what May Alkhunaizi, Almoosa’s chief executive officer for education, calls “calculated uniqueness.”
“Establishing a private university is not unique,” Alkhunaizi said. “But establishing it in collaboration, with a partner involved in developing the full university and all its programs — that is different.”
Following an international search, Almoosa identified the Center for International Research, Education, and Development and Virginia Tech as the ideal match.
“Virginia Tech has the same aims for its graduates as we have for ours,” Alkhunaizi said. “We have a lot in common. Having Virginia Tech as our partner is a decision we are proud of.”
From concept to campus
The process of co-designing a university will take place in four phases over three years, with logistics coordinated by Saudi-based Ascend Solutions. In the first phase, Almoosa representatives visited Blacksburg this spring to meet with faculty and administrators from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Pamplin College of Business, College of Engineering, and the School of Design in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
“Given the tremendous opportunities in Saudi Arabia with expanding education and research, the exploration of this collaboration and opportunity will also be beneficial toward Virginia Tech’s Global Distinction vision,” said Reza Barkhi, Pamplin’s associate dean for strategic and global initiatives and innovation and one of the consulting faculty for the project. “After finalizing the Pamplin Strategic Plan for 2030, we are well prepared to apply the lessons we’ve learned from our processes and to help the Almoosa Group plan for their expansion vision.”
The next steps will involve applying for accreditation and launching a Faculty Development Institute to prepare Almoosa professors to deliver a modern, competency-based curriculum.
“The pillars that our university will be founded on include interprofessional education, linking theory to practice, critical thinking, being student-centered, and focusing on innovation in alignment with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” Alkhunaizi said. “These will be the pillars for our curriculum.”
Construction and faculty training are slated to begin in 2026, with the first class expected in fall 2028.
Partners for the long term
For decades, the Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED), which is part of Outreach and International Affairs, has united Virginia Tech expertise with global capacity-building projects that advance the university’s global land-grant mission. The Almoosa partnership continues that tradition, bringing together strengths in engineering, health sciences, and business to help build a university that will serve Saudi Arabia and the wider Perisan Gulf region. It also creates opportunities for Virginia Tech faculty and students to engage in international teaching, research, and outreach.
“By coordinating faculty engagement across disciplines and managing multiyear partnerships like the one with Almoosa, CIRED ensures that Virginia Tech’s contributions go beyond short-term consulting,” Archibald said. “We embed our land-grant values of service and impact into long-term systems of learning."
Once the university opens, the center’s role will shift from co-developer to academic partner. The institutions are already exploring dual-degree programs, including a potential 3+1 model in which students spend three years at Almoosa and a fourth at Virginia Tech, earning credentials from both universities.
Future collaborations could include student and internship exchanges, joint faculty projects, and short-term study abroad opportunities.
“This partnership with the Almoosa Group is a testament to the transformative power of global collaboration,” said Guru Ghosh, vice president for outreach and international affairs. “We are grateful to Link + License + Launch for bringing the Almoosa Group to us. Together, we are not only building a university in one of the world’s largest natural oases — we are cultivating a shared vision for education that transcends borders and empowers peoples and communities to shape the next generation of leaders in the 21st century.”
