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The Saudi Press Agency reported that Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan expressed thanks and appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the issuance of the royal directive. Al-Benyan stated that the decision embodies the generous care the leadership extends to the education system in the Kingdom along with its continuous focus on enhancing the role of educational institutions in human development. The minister noted that the renaming also consolidates pride in the nation’s history and its national symbols while paying tribute to one of the state’s notable figures.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Al-Benyan emphasized that naming the university after Prince Musaed bin Abdulrahman represents appreciation for his national contributions and documents the legacy of a figure whose career was linked to key stages in the Kingdom’s development. Prince Musaed served as minister of interior in 1960 and as minister of finance from 1962 to 1975 under three monarchs, according to Saudi royal archives. He additionally headed the Board of Grievances and the General Auditing Authority after their establishment in the 1950s.
The Saudi Electronic University was founded in 2011 by royal decree from the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as a specialized government institution dedicated to distance and electronic learning. Founding records show the university offers undergraduate, graduate and diploma programs in addition to lifelong education across colleges of administration and financial sciences, computer and informatics, and health sciences. It remains the Kingdom’s only university focused exclusively on technology-driven and blended higher education models.
Prince Musaed bin Abdulrahman, a son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud and half-brother to the Kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz, was born in Riyadh around 1922 and died in 1992 at the age of approximately 70. Historical accounts from the period indicate he established one of Riyadh’s earliest public libraries in 1945, collecting and making available scarce books to students and readers during the years of the Second World War. His advisory roles to successive kings and leadership in administrative bodies left a documented mark on the country’s financial and oversight systems.
The royal directive, issued on Friday and disseminated by the Saudi Press Agency, followed a submission from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his capacity as prime minister. This step continues a tradition of royal decrees that recognize distinguished Saudis for their service across multiple eras of national development. University operations will proceed under the new name, with all academic and administrative references updated accordingly.
