by BERNAMA

RIYADH – Fifteen Saudi universities have realised a national achievement through their advancement according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2022, developing by more than 50 per cent compared with the 2021 ranking when 10 universities progressed on the list.

The ranking results showed the progress of 11 Saudi universities compared to their ranking last year, where King Abdulaziz University ranked 190th, while King Saud University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked 351st, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The rankings, for the first time, saw the entry of the University of Hail among the best 400 universities and the University of Tabuk among the best 500 universities.

Ranking indicators showed that Saudi Arabia, with its modern system of research and innovation, is considered the first at the global level in terms of improvement of citation of research outcomes with 35 per cent, which reflected positively on the ranking of Saudi universities and contributed to a big improvement in their rankings.

The increase in research publications of Saudi universities and development of their quality and influence over the past few years are considered among the most important factors that led to realizing these achievements.

THE Times Rankings is among the top international rankings that Saudi universities achieved development on for this year, where six Saudi universities appeared on the Shanghai Ranking, including the King Abdulaziz University and King Saud University that were among the best 150 universities in the world.

At the beginning of the second quarter of the year, the SCImago Institutions Rankings announced its ranking for international universities and listed most of the Saudi universities, including three universities that were among the top 200, which are King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, King Abdulaziz University and King Saud University.

The QS World University Rankings, which was announced on March 23, 2021, listed 14 Saudi universities, including two among the top 200 universities, which are King Abdulaziz University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

These outcomes are a result of unlimited support provided by the wise leadership and big efforts of the Education Ministry to enhance and empower the university education structure, the efficiency of programmes and projects that have been implemented, as well as the close attention through harmonising them with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.