# KFU student housing in Al-Ahsa: who can apply and what a room costs per semester

> **The short answer**: KFU student housing in Al-Ahsa is open to students who live outside the governorate, and places depend on vacant beds. The Deanship page lists a shared room at 1,125 SAR per semester plus a refundable deposit, and says rent is subject to change. Other sources give the deposit as 1,000 SAR, so confirm it before you pay.

**Key takeaways**

- Only students who live outside the Al-Ahsa governorate qualify, and only while vacant beds last.
- The Deanship page lists a shared room at 1,125 SAR per semester and says rent can change.
- Two other sources give the deposit as 1,000 SAR, so confirm the figure before you pay.
- Log in to the housing portal daily: an accepted or under-review application with no action for 3 days is cancelled.
- Use the 70 km distance from the women's PDF, not the 20 km in the 2024 news report.

![KFU student housing in Al-Ahsa: who can apply and what a room costs per semester](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/kfu-student-housing-ahsa/kfu-student-housing-ahsa-cover-en.webp)

## Who qualifies for KFU housing in Al-Ahsa?

Only students from outside the Al-Ahsa governorate can apply, and places depend on vacant beds.[^1] The Deanship's English page covers male and female students on that basis. The women's conditions PDF sets the tests that decide the rest.[^3]

- Regular enrolment at KFU. Scholarship students qualify, and so do students in the visitor system (نظام زائر).
- At least three courses totalling 9 credit hours. If you have not registered yet, see [course registration at King Faisal University](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/kfu-course-registration/).
- Living at least 70 km from Al-Ahsa. The 2024 news report says 20 km, but its wording is garbled, so the PDF's figure stands.[^4]
- No infectious disease, and no psychological condition that needs full care. The university clinic can review the case.
- No earlier exclusion from housing for breaking university or housing rules.
- Clinical students doing hospital training need an approved letter from both institutions, stating the training type, time, days and place.

No source explains how the 70 km line is measured. If you live in a town near the boundary, call the office on 920002366 before you fill in the form.[^1]

## How much does KFU housing cost for a semester?

A shared room costs 1,125 SAR per semester, and a single room costs 1,575 SAR if one is free.[^1] The Deanship's English page also says rent is subject to change at the university's discretion.

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shared room (سكن مشترك) | Two or three students, furnished, 1,125 SAR per semester[^1] |
| Single room (سكن مفرد) | 1,575 SAR per semester, only if one is free. This rate appears on one page only[^1] |
| Housing deposit (تأمين السكن) | 500 SAR, refunded after you leave, per the Deanship page[^1]. 1,000 SAR per the women's PDF and the 2024 report[^3][^4] |
| Summer semester | 500 SAR listed in the women's PDF. It does not say whether this is rent or a separate charge[^3] |

![Table: How much does KFU housing cost for a semester (Shared room (سكن مشترك), Single room (سكن مفرد), Housing deposit (تأمين السكن), …)](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/kfu-student-housing-ahsa/kfu-student-housing-ahsa-inline-2-en.webp)


We did not find a 1448 price list, so treat 1,125 SAR as the only rate we could open, not the one you will pay in 2026 to 2027. For the wider monthly picture in the city, read [the student budget in Al-Ahsa](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/ahsa-student-budget/).

## Do I get the KFU housing deposit back when I leave?

Yes. The Deanship's English page says the 500 SAR deposit is refunded after the student leaves.[^1] The 2024 report describes 1,000 SAR as a one-time room insurance payment, and the women's PDF lists 1,000 SAR for new students. None of the sources explains the refund rules or any deductions.[^4][^3]

> **Tip**: Ask the housing office for the deposit amount in writing before you pay, and keep the receipt until any refund reaches you.

## How do I register for KFU housing online?

Registration starts online and ends with payment at the housing buildings, according to the 2024 report on the 1446 cycle.[^4] The report gives the steps but not the timetable, so read them as the shape of the process, since the portal you use now may differ.

1. **Log in**: Open the electronic housing system and sign in with your academic number and password.
2. **Accept the regulation**: Read the housing regulation and accept it before you continue.
3. **Check your data and upload**: Confirm the details on screen, then attach each file as a JPG.
4. **Wait for the answer**: Applications are answered within 3 working days. If yours is under review, fix the noted items and follow the instructions.
5. **Pay at the buildings**: If accepted, go to the housing buildings beside gate 7, show the notice to security, then see the registration staff from 9 am to 1 pm and pay on the electronic device.

![5 steps: How do I register for KFU housing online (Log in, Accept the regulation, Check your data and upload, …)](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/kfu-student-housing-ahsa/kfu-student-housing-ahsa-inline-1-en.webp)


## When does housing registration open?

New students register in the first two weeks of each semester, or until vacant rooms run out.[^3] Returning students and students who suspended enrolment register before the end of each semester, once the renewal notice is issued.[^3] Registration only reserves a place. Move-in comes after all procedures are complete, so do not pack the car because you have a reservation.

Returning students cannot register before the renewal notice appears, so check the electronic portal every day as the instructions require. The 2024 report says an accepted or under-review application with no action for 3 days is cancelled.[^4]

> **Tip**: Write the registration start and end dates in your calendar, then check the portal daily for that window.

## What documents do I upload?

Four JPG files go into the electronic application.[^4] The 2024 report lists them as follows:

- An official personal photo, similar to the national ID photo.
- A clear copy of the national ID.
- A clear high-school certificate.
- A salary certificate for the guardian, or a GOSI printout (the social insurance record).

Every student also needs a timetable or training letter. New students add a family card, a national ID, an admission notice, proof of living outside Al-Ahsa and the certified form, plus a visitor-system or scholarship letter where it applies.[^3]

## Do I need a guardian to attend in person?

Not always. The guardian can attend in person, or the data and the guardian's consent can be certified at a municipality office or a district police station.[^3] An in-person guardian is a first-degree male relative, and a legal guardianship document covers an absent guardian. A student who lives independently after a guardian's separation or death attaches other documents, as the 2024 report describes.[^4] The PDF does not explain how the municipal certification works, so ask 920002366 which papers to bring.

## Can men apply for KFU housing in Al-Ahsa?

The Deanship's English page says it covers male and female students, but we could not check the men's conditions, because the file it links to is a Word document we did not open.[^1] The 1446 list above therefore comes from the women's PDF and the news report. Men should compare that file with the list line by line before they apply.

## What mistakes do students make with KFU housing?

The costliest mistake is treating 1,125 SAR as the full bill.

- Leaving out the deposit and the summer charge, which the sources list separately.[^3]
- Waiting for a reply without logging in. An accepted or under-review application is cancelled after 3 days with no action.[^4]
- Using the 20 km figure from the 2024 report, whose wording is garbled.
- Arriving outside the registration hours of 9 am to 1 pm.[^4]

## What if I am away for a while?

Tell the housing office if you will be away for more than 3 days. A student absent for two weeks or more without notice can be excluded.[^3] At the end of each semester's exams you vacate the room and hand it back in good condition. The exit and entry rules also run through a guardian or an authorised agent.

## Which KFU housing page should I trust?

None of the four pages is dated 1448. The women's application page mixes 1444 and 1446 material, and its links still show a 1444 registration notice, so treat it as out of date.[^2] Use the PDF for the conditions, the English page for the posted fees, and the phone line for anything that changes. To compare women's housing at other Saudi universities, see [female student housing at Saudi universities](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/female-student-housing/).

## What is still unknown for 1448?

Five things are missing from every source we opened.

- The 1448 fees and the deposit amount.
- The first-semester registration dates, and when the second semester opens.
- Whether a single room is open to women. Only the English page lists the 1,575 SAR rate.
- Whether water, electricity, internet, meals or maintenance are included in the rent.
- The selection criteria used when rooms run short. The 2024 report mentions them but does not list them.[^4]

> **tiswa's take**: Our take: choose the shared room if you live outside the governorate and can share a room, and get the fee and the deposit in writing before you apply. Do not build a plan on the single room, which appears on one page only. A student from inside the governorate should not count on this housing at all.

Moving to a new city means paying for books, a laptop and transport too. tiswa lists the student discounts for King Faisal University on its [King Faisal University deals page](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/universities/king-faisal-university/). [Join tiswa](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Questions

### Can I get KFU housing if I live in Al-Ahsa?

No. The Deanship page limits places to students from outside the Al-Ahsa governorate, and only while vacant beds last.

### What is the KFU housing price per semester?

A shared room is 1,125 SAR per semester on the Deanship's English page, plus a deposit. The page says rent is subject to change, and we found no 1448 rate.

### Do I get the KFU housing deposit back?

Yes, the Deanship's English page says the 500 SAR deposit is refunded after you leave. Other sources put the deposit at 1,000 SAR, so confirm the figure on 920002366 before you pay.

### How far from Al-Ahsa must I live for KFU housing?

At least 70 km, according to the women's PDF. The 20 km figure in the 2024 news report has garbled wording, so do not rely on it.

### Can male students apply for KFU housing in Al-Ahsa?

Yes, the Deanship's English page says it houses male and female students from outside the governorate. The men's conditions file is linked there, but we did not open it, so read it before you apply.


## Sources

[^1]: King Faisal University, Student Housing Administration (Deanship of Student Affairs), https://www.kfu.edu.sa/en/Deans/AhsaaStudent/Pages/mhome.aspx
[^2]: King Faisal University, women's housing application page, https://www.kfu.edu.sa/ar/Deans/AhsaaStudent/Pages/F-Student-Housing-Application.aspx
[^3]: King Faisal University, women's housing conditions and registration procedure (PDF), https://www.kfu.edu.sa/ar/Deans/AhsaaStudent/Documents/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%20%D9%88%D8%A2%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%84%20q11.pdf
[^4]: Ajel newspaper: KFU housing timetable and conditions for 1446, https://ajel.sa/local/9ir7stkgm0