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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid changes in various sectors of economy. In particular, manufacturing firms, engineering enterprises and organizations are becoming more complex. To be competitive in the global environment, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires sufficient number of industrial engineers who are well trained to design, install, maintain and manage complex industrial operations and manufacturing systems. In line with this development, the Department of Industrial Engineering was established in the Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh Campus in 2009.
Currently, the department offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering program. Industrial Engineering is a discipline known for its breadth of scope and applications. It is not only concerned with technology, but also with people and operational issues. It combines scientific and technical knowledge with human sciences to design, plan, and analyze systems that involve people, materials, money, energy, equipment, information and other related resources. The most distinct aspect of industrial engineering is the flexibility it offers. Because of its broad perspective, industrial engineering is applicable in a wide variety of industries, including: manufacturing, health care, banking, insurance, transportation, construction, utilities, and government agencies. However, to maintain the depth and the focus, the curriculum is designed to meet the specific and unique needs of employers in surrounding industrial areas. Hence, manufacturing systems and engineering related operations are the application domain of the curriculum. As such the curriculum emphasizes on the analysis and design of manufacturing systems. It prepares students to work in activities such as manufacturing process planning and control, automation, production methods and standards, computer-aided manufacturing, engineering economic analysis, facilities design and optimization of industrial operations. For industrial engineering graduates to function effectively within interdisciplinary environment, the curriculum gives more emphasize on broad engineering sciences courses.
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