The spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Muhannad Al-Khatib, confirmed that any student who completes military service must visit the Mobilization Directorate to complete the required clearance procedures in accordance with regulations.
He explained that students will be issued an official and certified military service completion certificate, with a copy submitted to the university’s admissions and registration unit to proceed with the equivalency of 12 accredited credit hours under a pass/fail system.
Speaking on the “Sawt Al Mamlaka” program on Wednesday, Al-Khatib said the instructions leave the matter of credit equivalency to each university, provided that the 12 credit hours include National Education and Military Sciences courses. If a student has already completed those subjects, the equivalency will shift to compulsory university requirements without additional fees.
He added that coordination had taken place to ensure the military service completion certificate would be included among the documents available through the Sanad application.
Al-Khatib noted that around 2,000 students participated in the first batch of the military service program, while a small number were either postponed for one year or transferred to later batches for acceptable reasons in line with the program’s regulations.
He also stated that the second batch had been postponed until June 20, 2026, following a recommendation from the Higher Education Ministry, to ensure the second academic semester and final exams are completed. The third batch is scheduled for October.
According to Al-Khatib, the Minister of Higher Education instructed universities and college deans to complete second-semester final exams no later than June 18, 2026, for students joining the second batch of the program.
He clarified that if any university is unable—due to the nature of a specialization, course, or academic calendar—to hold exams within the specified timeframe, the exam will be considered incomplete for the student required to join military service, and the student may sit for it after completing the program and returning to university.
Al-Khatib added that the military service program has helped participating students acquire a range of skills.
He further explained that a joint higher military committee, chaired by the Assistant Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been formed to follow up on student affairs and address any difficulties they may face in joining or completing the military service program.
Al Mamlaka
