“In addition to 10,000 students enrolled in approved seats, 185 students have been admitted on the recommendation of the University Council, which assessed that the university’s faculties and laboratory have the potential to accommodate the additional number,” President of the University Bakri Assas said in a statement.

Assas added that the completion of enrollment did not mean that the door of the university has been closed for students who want to continue their education. He said 8,000 more students will be admitted but not as regular students.

The president said 2,600 students would be admitted to community colleges and the freshman year in the Continuing Education Department, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Social Sciences, Applied Sciences, Education, courses in the university college in Qunfudah, evening courses in colleges of Islamic architecture and engineering, computer and information systems, applied sciences, administration and tourism sciences.

Another 4,600 students would be admitted to off-campus programs in addition to 800 seats available for various diploma courses.

A senior official of the university was fired on Monday following complaints of discrepancies in the admission procedure from many applicants.

On July 20, more than 300 students and their mothers who learned that all seats for the next semester had been taken started a ruckus outside the enrollment office. Three days later some 100 students with their mothers gathered in front of the university and tried to force their way into the campus to register for the next semester. A number of students were injured during the incidents.

Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari Monday allayed fears of many students that they would not be able to continue their studies. He affirmed that enrollment procedures in universities are fair and transparent and any violation would be rectified.

“Governmental and private universities in the Kingdom offer 320,000 vacant seats this year, 10 percent more than available seats last year,” the minister said.