The UK-based Times Higher Education (THE) has listed 15 Saudi universities as among the world's highest ranked institutions. The number is an increase from just 10 in 2021, hence making Saudi Arabia one of two nations in the region, including Egypt, to achieve higher rankings. For the year 2022, Saudi Arabia's institutions earned over 12 points higher compared with the 2018 edition.
Currently, the Saudi institutions on the list include top names such as King Abdulaziz University, Alfaisal University, University of Hail, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and King Saud University, among others. In fact, King Abdulaziz University has been ranked 190, up from 201 - 250 ranking in 2021, whereas a handful of others are ranked in the top 400.
However, this is just the beginning of Saudi Arabia's transformation of its educational sector. As part of its Vision 2030 goals, the Kingdom hopes to promote at least five of its institutions into the top 200. In addition, Saudi Arabia is aiming to make its universities more adaptable and sustainable, while building a new framework for flexible learning.
THE is a reliable source for students and parents looking for highly ranked universities globally. These universities are also ranked based on location, which includes the following: Arab University Rankings, Asia University Rankings, Emerging Economies University Rankings, Latin America University Rankings, World Reputation Rankings, and Young University Rankings.
In addition, the listing is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators, all of which evaluate an institution's performance mainly in the following four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. For 2022, over 1,600 universities across 99 countries and territories were ranked, making it the largest number of institutions to be on THE's list till date.
