Policies & Guidelines

What is Open Data?

Open data refers to data that can be freely used by anyone without technical, financial, or legal restrictions, with the ability to reuse and publish it. Accordingly, this data has been published under the Open Data License issued through the National Open Data Platform.

Open Data Policies

• The provisions of this policy apply to all public data and information (non-protected open data) produced by King Abdulaziz University.
• The purpose of this policy is to establish the main regulatory controls for sharing open data with beneficiaries inside and outside the University. Open data is considered a subset of public information.
• This policy applies to open data shared with entities inside and outside the University to raise knowledge levels, enhance transparency, and encourage innovation.

Usage Instructions

• King Abdulaziz University must be referenced when using its data in the references section to preserve the University's intellectual property.
• When using King Abdulaziz University data, it must be preserved and not modified.
• Data must not be used for political or racist purposes against any group, race, or religion, nor to support any unlawful activity.

Responsibilities of Data Users

• Users of King Abdulaziz University data may conduct studies of any type, provided that data integrity, accuracy, and validity are maintained.
• Published study results must be free of errors related to data accuracy and validity.
• The University welcomes sharing study results with the Data Management Office to support institutional development.

Responsibilities of King Abdulaziz University

• King Abdulaziz University disclaims responsibility for any damage or loss that may occur to users of published data from entities or individuals.
• Published data may change or be removed due to periodic updates; therefore, the University does not guarantee continuous availability.

Open Data Publishing Requirements

• Approval from the Open Data and Information Officer prior to publishing.

Main Principles of Open Data

• Principle 1: Data availability by default – Data is considered “public” by default unless its nature or sensitivity requires higher classification and protection.
• Principle 2: Open formats and machine readability – Data is provided in machine-processable formats such as XML, JSON, XLS, CSV.
• Principle 3: Timeliness of Open Data – Publish the latest version of datasets regularly, prioritizing data that loses value over time.
• Principle 4: Completeness – Datasets should be comprehensive, include as much detail as possible, and contain metadata.
• Principle 5: Non-discrimination – Data is available to everyone without discrimination and without requiring registration or identity proof.
• Principle 6: Fees – Open data is free of charge for everyone.
• Principle 7: Open data licensing in the Kingdom – Data is subject to the University's open data license.
• Principle 8: Governance model development and inclusion – Data enables access and participation and enhances transparency.
• Principle 9: Inclusive development and innovation – Data empowers individuals and organizations to unlock research capabilities and innovation.

For more information about Open Data policies and regulations, please visit the Data Management Office page at King Abdulaziz University or contact us via email: Dmo@kau.edu.sa

Related Regulations

• Open Data Policy: Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)
• Freedom of Information Policy: Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)
• E-Transactions Law: Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST)
• Anti-Cybercrime Law: Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST)
• Essential Cybersecurity Controls: National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA)
• National Data Governance Policy: Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)

Request Open Data

An Open Data request can be submitted if the published data on the National Open Data Platform is not sufficient, provided that the request does not include private or confidential data.

Service Access Channels:

• National Open Data Platform
• Open Data Request Form

Response Time: After receiving the request, it will be reviewed and required approvals will be obtained. The requester will be informed of the outcome. This process takes (30) business days.

Contact & Inquiries: Feel free to contact us via email: DMO@kau.edu.sa

Service Availability: (Sunday - Thursday)

Supporting Files:

• Work procedures for reviewing Open Data requests
• User instructions and guidelines on how to request Open Data

Using Open Data

Benefits of Open Data within King Abdulaziz University

Positive impact inside the University:

• Studying the number of admitted students, which supports decision-making related to determining classroom capacity.
• Distributing students across colleges and suitable specializations.
• Allocating financial resources to strengthen the educational process.
• Monitoring the educational progress of enrolled students, dropouts, struggling students, graduates, and others.
• Studies related to spending efficiency.
• Enhancing and improving the digital services provided by the University, such as identifying the number of students with disabilities to provide better services.
• Counting the number of beneficiaries from digital services.

Positive impact outside the University:

• Enabling the private sector to identify specializations available in the market, making it easier to recruit suitable talent.

Positive impact for students and researchers:

• Preparing research studies, such as measuring labor market needs for graduate specializations under the national vision.

Success Stories