Brief History

The Chemical Engineering Department was established in 1974 in the College of Engineering at King Saud University to offer the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering was launched in 1981, followed by the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1997.

The department currently has 30 faculty members: 12 Full Professors, 5 Associate Professors, 9 Assistant Professors, and 4 Lecturers. Additionally, there are 6 Teaching and Research Assistants and 3 Technicians. The department is equipped with advanced laboratories that allow students to visualize various chemical processes and their interrelations. In addition to student laboratories, the department also contains several research laboratories used by faculty members for their own research.

The department has advanced computing facilities, including direct access to the university and college computers as well as in-house computer labs equipped with specialized software for process design, simulation, and control.

To attain excellence and continuous improvement, the department was granted accreditation in 2010 by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (https://www.abet.org). To meet market needs, the department established a Master’s program in Polymer Science and Engineering in 2008. To further promote research and development, the department established the SABIC Center for Polymer Research and the ACWA Chair for Water and Power Research. Other research chairs, such as Photocatalysis and Phosphate and Minerals Processing, are also emerging.