Saudi students can now apply for Social Development Bank financing to study at University of New Haven's Riyadh campus

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi students can now apply for Social Development Bank financing to study at University of New Haven – Riyadh (NHU-Riyadh), after the university's degree programs were added to the bank's education financing portal. The listing opens Saudi education financing to industry-driven, US-accredited degrees delivered in the Kingdom.

The Social Development Bank (SDB) is one of Saudi Arabia's leading development finance institutions, providing financing and value-added non-financial services to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and SMEs. Through its diverse programs and initiatives, SDB contributes to economic empowerment, social development, and sustainable growth, supporting the Kingdom's transformation agenda and the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Eligible students apply through the bank's education financing portal (www.sdb.gov.sa) and are assessed against the Social Development Bank's standard criteria. Once a student is admitted to the university and approved by the bank, the financing is released.

Students can access Social Development Bank financing to study at the University of New Haven – Riyadh's new College of Business and Digital Innovation, which opens this autumn in Misk City. This will give students the opportunity to study in the heart of an ecosystem purpose-built to create, develop, and nurture Saudi talent, and the university's Vision 2030-aligned and industry-driven experiential learning model will empower students to build the economy of the next generation.

"Our goal is to ensure that a University of New Haven education is an option for talented students across the Kingdom, including those who might not otherwise have considered it," said Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., president of the University of New Haven. "The support of the Social Development Bank will help deserving students pursue degrees that will deliver an unparalleled return on their investment. We take great pride in our history educating Saudi students, and we are proud to help educate the next generation of the elite global workforce.

"This helps put a University of New Haven education within reach of Saudi students on the basis of their potential, not their family's means," said Leo Lester, Ph.D., senior vice president for University of New Haven – Riyadh. "Our programs are hands-on and industry-driven, and they are built to develop the talent and skills that Vision 2030 calls for. Financing is available now, so students applying for this year can plan their futures with confidence."

About University of New Haven – Riyadh
NHU-Riyadh is the University of New Haven's international branch campus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Located at Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City (Misk City) in Riyadh, the campus opens in the autumn of 2026 with the College of Business and Digital Innovation, the first of three colleges planned in the Kingdom. The university holds a foreign branch campus license from the Ministry of Education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).