PNU history

 

Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman College is a Saudi Arabian public women's university located in Riyadh. It is also the world's largest female's university, offering diplomas, graduate and postgraduate degrees. It has 34 colleges in Riyadh and the surrounding areas, as well as an Arabic Language Institute (for non-Arabic speakers), a Deanship of Community Service and Ongoing Education, and a Community College. It employs over 5,000 academic and administrative personnel.

The institution was established in 1970 as the Kingdom's first female-only college of education. Over the next 25 years, 102 such institutions with 60,000 students were established in 72 cities all over the country. Inside the city of Riyadh solely, there were six colleges, mostly in the subjects of education, community services, science, the art, and home ec. In 2004, a decision had been made to merge all of Riyadh's women's colleges, resulting in the Kingdom's first all-female university. Other colleges throughout the Kingdom were merged and expanded into autonomous universities in their respective districts.

 In 2008, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, inaugurated the campus and renamed it "Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University" in honor of Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman, the nation's original king and leader, King Abdulaziz. The Arabic word Nourah means "light." The construction of the world's largest and most contemporary women's higher education institution inside a self-contained higher learning city began with this launch. Princess Al Jawhara bint Fahd Al Saud was the first rector. 

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, officially launched the new campus on June 12, 2011, during which he said: "Women carry a responsibility that is more than a duty, to maintain the stability of society and contribute to building the economy of the nation, and to represent the community and the nation to the highest standards, outside and inside the country. To be the caring mother, exemplary citizen and productive employee. Outside the nation, to be the ambassador of her country and community, and to represent well her religion, faith and our values." 

The university hosted the first-ever opera in Saudi Arabia in February 2017. Opera Lebanon produced the show, "Antar and Alba." 

 

 

References: 

www.pnu.edu.sa. (n.d.). Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman University. [online] Available at: https://www.pnu.edu.sa/en/Pages/home.aspx. Wikipedia. (2022). Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Nora_bint_Abdul_Rahman_University [Accessed 11 Mar. 2022].