International Students’ Challenges at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah

Dr.Naif Daifullah Alsulami ¹

¹ Assistant Professor in International & Comparative Education at the Faculty of Education/ Umm Al-Qura University

Volume:14 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 1-15 |  March 2022 |https://doi.org/10.54940/ep70762665 | PDF

Received: 21 October 2021 | Accepted: 26 December 2021

Abstract:

his study aimed to identify the challenges facing international students at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah. A qualitative approach consisting of individual interviews with students was used to collect the data. The sample comprised 15 participants aged between 23 and 40 who were studying at various stages of the higher education hierarchy, including diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate. The disciplines covered were Sharia, Islamic economics, teacher preparation, jurisprudence, Quran and Sunnah, and applied linguistics. The students’ average stay in Saudi Arabia was five years. Their countries of origin were Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Central Africa, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. The results revealed several challenges facing international students, which can be divided into five categories: administrative, educational, economic, personal, and social. Based on these results, the study makes several recommendations for decision-makers, faculty members, and international and Saudi students at Umm Al-Qura University, as well as for Saudi society and future scholars.

Keywords:

International students, studying abroad, Umm Al-Qura University, scholarships, challenges.

How to cite this paper:

Alsulami, N (2022). International Students’ Challenges at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Educational and Psychological Sciences, Vol (14), No (1).