Saudi Universities on the. world map

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3 Saudi Universities on the world map 2013

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7 Table of Contents Introduction... 8 QS World University Ranking Times Higher Education Index US News and World Report Webometrics Ranking of World Universities Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities SCImago Journal Rank Conclusion... 48

8 Introduction During the last few years the Saudi higher education managed to score significant advancements, exemplified in opening a large number of universities, expanding acceptance capacities, and launching King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP). In addition, several universities established chairs for scientific research, and the Ministry of Higher Education found several centers for scientific excellence. This academic research movement comes in sync with a comprehensive renaissance movement the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. The academic reputation of Saudi universities, in its various dimensions, became a key symbol of its competitive advantage, from the perspective of both, academics and employers in the job market. This academic reputation spurred from the effort of directing higher education towards internationality and universality. Therefore, rankings published by international organizations reflect the relative value of the Saudi university in comparison to its local, regional, and international counterparts. This report observes six international indexes where Saudi universities ranked during the past few years. In the following section the rankings are presented, along with the accomplishments of Saudi universities according to each one of them. 8 Ministry of Higher Education

9 Index QS World University Ranking Times Higher Education Index US News and World Report Webometrics Matrix Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities Summary of Most Important Results for Saudi Universities During the Year 2012 King Saud University ranked 197 among 400 top international universities. King Fahd University ranked 208, and King Abdulaziz University ranked 334. Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University ranked 451 internationally King Abdulaziz University ranked in the category in the index published ( ) King Saud University ranked 197, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked 208, King Abdulaziz University ranked 334 among the top 400 universities according to the 2012 index publication based on the QS ranking The ranking published in July 2012 covered over 12,000 universities, including Saudi universities. King Saud University ranked 236, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked 544, King Abdulaziz University ranked 701, and Umm Al-Qura University ranked 1,165 King Saud University was ranked in the third category among the 500 top universities worldwide. King Abdulaziz University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked in the category. Meanwhile, King Saud University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked in the third category ( ) among the top 200 international universities in science, engineering and information technology. Moreover, King Saud University was ranked in the fourth category ( ) of the top 200 universities in life sciences and agriculture SCImago Journal Ranking The research ranking of universities and research centers included seven local institutions; King Saud University ranked in first place locally, and ranked 22 in the entire Middle East area (2012). In addition, it advanced to 724 on an international level, followed by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, which ranked 45 in the Middle East, after it previously ranked 25. King Abdulaziz University advanced to 78 at the level of the Middle East, and third place nationally Deputyship for Planning & Information 9

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11 QS World University Ranking

12 QS World University Ranking The ranking was launched in the year It covers the four strategic areas pertinent to higher education, which are usually recognized by leaders of educational institutions. The four areas are: scientific research, employability, educational efficiency, and universality. The index is issued by The Times Higher Education Supplement of the Times Newspaper (THES), which is a British publication associated with Quacquarelli Symonds. The Times Newspaper classification yields significant importance to expert opinions at a percentage of (40%) of the total value, among other elements. The index currently evaluates over 2,000 university, and ranks 700, however, the distinguished list of the index includes the first 400 only, and the remainder is classified into categories , and , and so on. 12 Ministry of Higher Education

13 The Standards The index includes the following measuring standards: 1. Academic reputation (40%): it is based on a comprehensive exploratory survey of academic societies. The work team received 46,000 responses during three years. 2. Employer evaluation (10%): employer surveys are collected regarding their opinions and views of universities that prepare the best graduates, according to their different experiences, and as a result reflect students employability at different institutions. Responses to surveys reached 25,000 during the year Faculty/student ratio (20%): this percentage is a clear and direct evidence of the university s commitment towards the educational and research process. This percentage is accessible through statistics issued by universities. 4. Citations per faculty (20%): this percentage is indicative of the university s research activity, and the attractiveness of its scientific content among academic societies. This index utilizes the statistics collected over a five year time period. 5. International faculty ratio (5%): modern trends in higher education emphasize the impact of cultural and ethnic diversity, among students and faculty members, on the creation of an academic environment that is both, more mature and rich in practical and life experiences, which will result in the formation of behaviorally and educationally qualified graduates. Deputyship for Planning & Information 13

14 6. International students ratio (5%): modern trends in higher education emphasize the impact of cultural and ethnic diversity, among students and faculty members, on the creation of an academic environment that is both, more mature and rich in practical and life experiences, which will result in the formation of behaviorally and educationally qualified graduates. The index ranked universities offering degrees in the following majors: Arts and Humanities. Engineering and Technology. Life sciences and Medicine. Natural sciences. Social sciences and Management. Website Findings in 2012 The following local universities were ranked according to the noted time periods among the top 400 universities: King Saud University 197 King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals 208 King Abdulaziz University Ministry of Higher Education

15 Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University was ranked for the same time period in the category internationally. Previous Findings Table (1) summarizes the results for Saudi universities during the years ( ) Table (1) University 2009 Rank 2010 Rank 2011 Rank 2012 Rank King Saud University King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals King Abdulaziz University Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University The uniqueness and continuous advancement of Saudi universities is evident through this index, which reflects the vigorous efforts paid by these universities to reach internationality. Deputyship for Planning & Information 15

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17 Times Higher Education Index

18 Times Higher Education Index The Times Higher Education Index consists of 13 sub-indexes. Those sub-indexes are carefully selected to reflect the comprehensiveness and balance of the university in regards to academic, research and social activities. A total of 31,000 surveys were directed to specific universities in 149 participating universities, over two sessions during the year The index operating entity received around 17,554 responses (a 31% increase from the previous year). The current issue ( ) is the second issue of the index after its separation from the QS Ranking. The Standards 1. Teaching: comprises 30% of the overall grade. 2. Scientific Research: includes quantity and reputation and comprises 30% of the overall grade. 3. Scholarly Citation: the extent of the university s scientific production s impact on scientific research in general. Comprises 30% of the overall grade. 4. Industry Income: a measurement of the academic creativity s contribution to support local industries. Comprises 2.5% of the grade. 5. International Outlook: it reflects the ethnic diversity of students and faculty members, as well as joint scientific research. Comprises 7.5% of the overall grade. 18 Ministry of Higher Education

19 Teaching (30%) Scientific Research (30%) The teaching indicator consists of five categories designed to introduce a comparative evaluation of the level of the educational process in the academic institution from an academic perspective, and from a student perspective. It includes traditional indicators, such as faculty/student ratio, university staff/student ratio, graduate students/ undergraduate students ratio, and the number of minors offered within each major. The ratio of teaching income/the total number of faculty members also contributes in forming an impression of the institution s market value. This index consists of three sub-indexes: quantity, income, and reputation. The index is calculated based on the number of researches to the number of researchers in the academic institution. Since financing is considered vital in supplying for research processes, the income resulting from research activities is regarded as an indicative of its continuity and success as an integral research process. Finally, the number of refereed and published research studies comprises the remainder of the index value. The impact resulting from citing published studies on the academic institution is considered the most significant solo indicator that contributes to the value of this index, at 30% of the overall index value. Citation (30%) This importance results from the fact that this index measures the magnitude of knowledge exchange and transfer the university introduces to humanity, represented by various academic and productive societies. Therefore, universities publishing less than 200 research papers annually were excluded from the ranking. Industry Income (2.5%) This index measures the university s ability to help industrial sectors with products, creative solutions, and consultations. This index is regarded as one of the goals of the university, since it is considered a modern institution that operates in a knowledge society. The amount of knowledge exchange, and the resulting revenues are calculated to the number of researchers in the university. This index comprises 2.5% of the grade. International Outlook (7.5%) This index measures the academic collaboration among universities in different countries. It also measures the university s number of students from different nationalities, enrolled in the university for study and research. It is given that top universities seek to polarize highly qualified students, researchers, and faculty members from around the world. The index also measures the percentage of university publications co-authored by researchers from other countries. Each one of those three sub-indexes is allotted 2.5 % of the index grade, and this specific index comprises 7.5% of the overall grade. Deputyship for Planning & Information 19

20 This ranking excludes universities that do not offer freshman undergraduate teaching, and universities that offer degrees in specific majors only, and universities with annual research output of less than 1,000 scholarly papers during the period This index publishes the list of top four hundred universities around the world as divided into 7 lists, the first list includes universities 1-200, the second list includes universities , the third list includes universities , the fourth list includes universities , the fifth list includes universities , the sixth list includes universities , and the last list includes universities According to the ( ) index, King Abdulaziz University ranked in the sixth list that included universities , and no other local universities ranked in any of the lists. In addition to the academic ranking, the same entity publishes another index specifically designed to measure the academic reputation, which includes only the top 100 universities, and none of our local universities managed to score on that list. Website Electronic Websitehttp:// Findings in 2012 Two Saudi universities, according to the year 2010 ranking, joined the list of the best 400 universities. However, they both receded and went off the list by the end of the year As demonstrated in Table (2), no Saudi universities managed to score in this index issue. In the year 2012 King Saud University reappeared in the category , advancing from its previous ranking. 20 Ministry of Higher Education

21 Previous Findings Two Saudi universities, according to the year 2010 ranking, joined the list of the best 400 universities. However, they both receded and went off the list by the end of the year As demonstrated in Table (2), no Saudi universities managed to score in this index issue. In the year 2012 King Saud University reappeared in the category , advancing from its previous ranking. Table (2) Institution Country 2010 Rank 2011 Rank 2012 Rank King Saud University Saudi Arabia King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Saudi Arabia Deputyship for Planning & Information 21

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23 US News and World Report

24 US News and World Report US News and World Report is an index that is based on data collected by QS-World index. It assesses universities in different countries, and ranks universities according to academic subjects, such as arts, sciences, engineering, medical sciences, etc The index introduces easily accessible information to students and researchers searching for universities that suit their needs. The electronic website provides an opportunity to encounter details pertinent to universities and the majors they excelled at teaching. The electronic website is considered a valuable addition to the ranking itself. For the fourth year in a row the index publishes a university ranking undertaken by high school advisors throughout the United States of America, in order to pinpoint universities with a focus on undergraduate studies, and those with distinguished efforts in this field. In addition, the index will publish a ranking specific for top business and engineering colleges. The index operating entity provides a bundle of academic services, such as advising underachieving high-school graduates, and tutoring on how to thrive in undergraduate university studies, in addition to offering advice on scholarships and options for financing university education. The Standards In order to better explore the general standards utilized in creating this index refer to the QS Ranking. 24 Ministry of Higher Education

25 Website universities-in-the-world Findings in 2012 According to the 2012 issue of the index, and based on the QS Ranking, King Saud University ranked 197, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals ranked 208, and King Abdulaziz University ranked 334 among the top four hundred universities. Previous Findings Table (1) demonstrates the ranks of the two Saudi universities in this ranking. Deputyship for Planning & Information 25

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27 Webometrics Ranking

28 Webometrics Ranking The Webometrics Ranking is considered the most sizable index because it covers 12,000 universities, all of which are assessed every six months through the Cyber Metrics Labs associated with the Spanish National Research Council. The Cyber Metrics Lab developed in the mid nineteen nineties a work frame to evaluate academic institutions, and the work frame was announced during the conference of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) held in Belfield, Germany in the year Data collection started in 1999, through an automated mechanism carried out by the electronic websites of European universities in a project adopted by the European Union. After that the index expanded to cover most universities all over the world. The index first issue was in 2004, after the Shanghai global index, issued by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University was launched in In addition to universities, the index ranks hospitals and research centers. The index aims to reinforcing scientific electronic publication through the websites of universities rich in knowledge content, which yields for knowledge exchange and cultural engagement among different nations. In the modern era Internet and web-based indexes are considered comprehensive and profound evaluation tools for universities global performance, taking into account their activities, outcomes, significance, and influence. The Internet is a trustworthy 28 Ministry of Higher Education

29 mirror that reflects the value of the university, knowing that the information web became an essential matter in determining the future of the university. The Internet is one of the most influential tools of knowledge transfer within the local community and the global community; in addition, it is considered the futuristic channel of distance learning out of the university campus. Moreover, this web of information present via the Internet also represents an open forum for social engagement and involvement throughout the university, and a global gateway that polarizes skills, financing, and resources. The index is focused on the university s research load, and does not address the educational track at all. Moreover, the index equals educational institutions of different levels; it even equals universities to university colleges. For example, Riyadh College of Technology is ranked under the list of academic institutions, while it is not even considered as a university. The index measures the third functionality of the university as the scope of its economic post in the industry, and its ability to convey technical knowledge to the local community. The ranking process started in 2004, based on several indexes pertinent to the size of the electronic content available on the university s Internet webpage, and the influence of the content posted according to the number of electronic requests received by the university. The rating is updated twice a year, during the months of January and July; universities and research centers information web indexes are assessed worldwide, taking into account the scope of scientific activity on academic sites of the web, which might not be demonstrated by indexes published in libraries. Deputyship for Planning & Information 29

30 Indexes The index is based on the concepts of the Shanghai Composite Index of web publishing, which is based on the concept of the Web Impact Factor. The index seeks to balance a research load and its impact on the university. The composite index is formed of three elements: 1. Web Presence: this element comprises 20% of the overall grade. It is the number of static and dynamic pages on the university s website, including the constant pages, according to what is observed through commonly used search engines. Therefore, the university must stimulate the academic staff, and facilitate to them the process of publishing in order to accumulate the largest number of search hits well-known search engines can recognize. 2. Impact: this element comprises 50% of the overall grade. It assesses the level of the links leading to the content of the webpage through a Virtual Referendum that calculates the number of times those links have been accessed. This element is measured by neutral specialized third-party organizations, such as and 3. Openness: this element comprises 15% of the overall grade. This element measures the university s inclination to engage in the establishment of the global knowledge content, through measuring the university s participation in Google scholar library ( in the form of PDF or Doc files. 4. Distinction: this element comprises 15% of the overall grade. It is based on the number of distinguished scholarly articles published in prestigious scholarly journals. This is considered a measure of the quality of research production. The data is collected exclusively on the most significant 10% of scholarly articles in which universal databases, i.e. Scimago, were 30 Ministry of Higher Education

31 used as references for published studies and researches. The number of scholarly articles accepted by the index in the period belongs to 5,200 universities. In order to better reflect the actual status of universities the index continues to develop, as to the implemented standards and their values. However, the index has been the subject of criticism and scrutiny for several shortcomings, one of which is its negligence to assess the university s teaching load and effort. Moreover, some of the sub-indexes can be easily manipulated, sham universities have the opportunity to enter the ranking, and publications on lesscommon websites, or in local languages are not counted as university research activities. Website Deputyship for Planning & Information 31

32 Findings in 2012 Table (3) demonstrates the index findings as of July 2012 Table (3) Institution Global Ranking According to 2012 Index King Saud University 236 King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals 544 King Abdulaziz University 701 Umm Al-Qura University 1165 Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University 1392 King Faisal University 1701 King Khalid University 2404 Najran University 2898 Taibah University 3407 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 4292 ) 32 Ministry of Higher Education

33 Previous Findings According to the index, Table (4) demonstrates the ranks of Saudi universities, which illustrates their development during the years among the top one thousand universities. Those universities are considered local pioneering universities. Table (4) Institution 2009 Rank 2010 Rank 2011 Rank 2012 Rank King Saud University King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals King Abdulaziz University Umm Al-Qura University Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University Deputyship for Planning & Information 33

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35 Shangahai Academic Ranking of World Universities

36 Shangahai Academic Ranking of World Universities The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) was launched in June 2003, through a joint project held by the Center for World Class Universities and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Starting in the year 2009, this index became a subsidiary of the Shanghai Ranking Consulting Center. In August 2012, Shanghai Jiao Tong University issued its tenth edition of the index, which covered 12,000 universities, almost a majority of the world s universities. This edition included in addition to Saudi universities some Saudi academic institutions, such as Riyadh College of Technology. The index uses six elements in assessing universities; the number of faculty members and alumni whom received honorary international prizes, such as the Nobel Prize, the number of university researches cited in other researches and publications, the number of researches refereed and published in periodicals and journals to the number of faculty members and researchers, which reflects the volume of the academic institution. Several entities have pointed out the transparency of this index and its prevalence, including The Economist (2005), which described the index as the most prevalent and the most recent and updated index, since it is updated every six months, at the time when some indexes are updated only once every one or 36 Ministry of Higher Education

37 two years. Martin Enserink stated in a paper published in Science (2007), that the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities has been very influential in impacting educational standards worldwide; for instance, in France, the low rankings of French universities according to the index helped passing laws and regulations that grant universities more freedom and better scientific incentives. The editor of The Chronicles of Higher Education, stated that this index is the most profound in its influence among university ranking indexes; In addition, several academics at University of Oxford recommended this index. The Standards The ranking assesses all universities with published research, and universities with laureates of honorary provincial or international prizes as faculty members. The index consists of the following standards: 1. Teaching quality index: comprises 10%. It measures the number of graduates and alumni whom are prize laureates. 2. Faculty capacity index: comprises 40%. This index is divided into two subindexes; first, the number of faculty members whom have been awarded prizes, second, the percentage of the university s cited scholarly production in 21 majors. 3. Research production: comprises 40%. This index is divided into two subindexes; first, the total number of published researches in the fields of science and nature during the period ( ), second, the total number of scholarly articles cited in scientific research. 4. Individual productivity (of researchers): comprises 10%. This is the rate Deputyship for Planning & Information 37

38 of academic researchers activity calculated through the total number of researches to the total number of researchers. If there is a difficulty in determining the total number of researchers, the value of this sub-index may be compensated for by the average of the previous sub-indexes. Website Findings in 2012 According to the index, King Saud University ranked in the third category among the top five hundred universities worldwide. King Abdulaziz University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked in the category. King Saud University ranked in the third category ( ) among the top 200 universities worldwide in sciences, engineering, and information technology. In addition, King Saud University ranked in the fourth category ( ) among the top 200 universities in Agriculture and Life science majors. Previous Findings According to this ranking in the year 2009 King Saud University was the only Saudi university, and the only Arabic university to rank among the top 500 universities worldwide. In the 2010 ranking two Saudi universities appeared on the list; King Saud University ranked among the top 400 universities, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked among the top 500 universities. In the year 2011 King Saud University stepped forward to become among the top 300 universities, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and 38 Ministry of Higher Education

39 Minerals advanced to become among the top 400 universities, which only confirms the pioneership of both universities and their internationally acclaimed status. Table (5) demonstrates the findings : Table (5) Institution 2009 Rank 2010 Rank 2011 Rank 2012 Rank King Saud University King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals King Abdulaziz University Deputyship for Planning & Information 39

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41 SCImago Journal Ranking

42 SCImago Journal Ranking In the year 2012 SCImago labs in the Spanish capitol Madrid issued the third edition of scholarly production index. This rating is considered one of the most important ratings around the world, as it encompasses seven indexes of the magnitude of scientific research and its effectiveness. The year 2011 issue included two indexes; specialization, and level of distinction, in an effort to convey a more comprehensive view of the nature of scholarly research, and to facilitate comparing the findings of ranked research institutions. Moreover, the year 2012 index covered 3,290 research centers located in 106 countries around the world, which represents an 8% increase in coverage when compared to the index issued in 2011 which covered only 3,042 research centers. In the year 2012 a seventh index that assesses the level of the research or academic institution s research leadership was introduced. SCImago labs are specialized in analyzing and assessing data available in the most important specialized research databases, such as Scopus that belongs to Elsevier, and it is considered an independent institution that publishes scientific production of universities and research centers. 42 Ministry of Higher Education

43 Ranking Components The index is composed of seven sub-indexes, all of which aim towards representing a balanced view of the reality of scientific research in any country. The sub-indexes are as follow: 1- O: Output Index 2- IC: International Collaboration Index 3- Q1: High Quality Publications Index 4- NI: Normalized Impact Index 5- Spec: Specialization Index 6- Exc: Excellence Rate Index 7- Leadership Index The number of published researches in refereed academic journals The percentage of research produced in collaboration with other entities Highly influential publications. Publications with the most significance within their fields according to the rating of SCImago A comparison of a country s research output to the international average, where grade 1 is the international average, and a grade of 0.8 means less than the international average by 20%, and a grade of 1.3 means more than the international average by 30% Refers to the level of specialization to the level of generalization, the rating is 0 to 1, and the method for calculating it is the same as the economic index GINI The percentage of publications that fall in the top 10% of cited researches Refers to the level of productivity of major participants in the academic institution, as the number of scholarly papers presented by faculty members of the academic institution Deputyship for Planning & Information 43

44 Research Centers in the Middle East Along with the establishment universities with an international touch on Saudi Arabian soil, and the execution of higher education development plans, came the expectation of elevating the status of Saudi universities at an international level. Saudi universities are expected to have an expansive developmental function that enables them to introduce valuable resources that will help raise industry, trade, and societal development and growth. This function can be carried out through scoring a balance between international academic standards and the national needs, identified within the frame of the national identity and local traditions and culture. This goal is attainable through improving methods of knowledge acquisition, management, dissemination, development, and control. Table (6) represents the number of research centers in a sample of Middle Eastern countries. Table (6) Country sretnec cifitneics fo rebmun )gnitar 1102( sretnec cifitneics fo rebmun )gnitar 2102( Iran Israel Egypt Saudi Arabia 7 7 Jordan Ministry of Higher Education

45 Country sretnec cifitneics fo rebmun )gnitar 1102( sretnec cifitneics fo rebmun )gnitar 2102( United Arab Emirates 4 4 Qatar 3 3 Lebanon 2 2 Oman 1 1 Kuwait 1 1 ) For the sake of comparison Table (7) represents the number of research centers in some advanced countries. Table (7) )gnitar 2102( sretnec hcraeser fo rebmun Country United States of America United Kingdom Spain Germany Italy Turkey Netherlands Greece Switzerland Deputyship for Planning & Information 45

46 Saudi Research Centers Indexes Table (8) represents the ranking of research institutions in Saudi Arabia, and the values of their sub-indexes according to the index. Table (10) also represents their ranking on the national, regional, and international levels. In the year 2012, King Saud University ranked in first place locally, and ranked 22 on a regional level. It also advanced in its international ranking from 947 in 2011 to 724 in King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) receded in the year 2012 when it ranked 45 at the Middle Eastern level after it ranked 25 in the year King Abdulaziz University (KAU) ranked 78 among Middle Eastern countries, receding by that from its previous rank of 47 in the year 2011, scoring the third place locally. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH & RC) is classified as a research institution, and it scored the fourth place locally, and it ranked 105 on the regional level of the Middle East in the year 2012, receding by that from its previous place of 47 for the year Table (8) represents this information in more detail. Table (8) Year Global Rating Regional Rating (Mid- East) National Rating Academic Institution Output Index International collaboration Index High Quality Publications Index Normalized Impact Index Spec. Index Excellence Rate Index Leadership Index , KSU , KFUPM Ministry of Higher Education

47 Year Global Rating Regional Rating (Mid- East) National Rating Academic Institution Output Index International collaboration Index High Quality Publications Index Normalized Impact Index Spec. Index Excellence Rate Index Leadership Index , KFSH & RC King Abdulaziz 1, University Saudi Aramco King Faisal University King Khalid University Deputyship for Planning & Information 47

48 Conclusion The subject of regional and international ranking of universities is one that is controversial and debatable. Every ranking system has its supporters and objectors, because every ranking system has its advantages and shortcomings, in many cases the ranking may be based on elements or characteristics that are not objective when it comes to quality. In other cases surveys of faculty members, current students, alumni and others neglect the fact that the international ranking of universities is an assessment tool that demonstrates the time-bound changes on the regional and international level and its effect on the university. The rating is a tool to help educational policy makers in universities to pinpoint the weaknesses, restraints, and obstacles that hinder the university, in regards to quality and efficiency. The ranking is also meant to help determine the best methods and practices that will help develop the level of competitiveness through benchmarking with top international universities. Countries around the world that managed to establish top universities, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are eligible to compete internationally in the fields of creativity and innovation, and they are able to create a knowledge economy that would contribute in sustainable community development. 48 Ministry of Higher Education

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51 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Higher Education Deputyship for Planning & Information General Department of Planning & Statistics mohe.gov.sa

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