King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has again claimed the top spot in the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings — a source of national pride and a resounding testament to the University’s academic prowess, research excellence and strategic investment in the Kingdom’s future. 

This remarkable achievement highlights KAUST’s rapid progress under its Accelerating Impact Strategy, unveiled last year. It also exemplifies the University’s commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, particularly in elevating the global standing of the nation’s educational institutions. 

“Achieving this distinction for a second consecutive year is a definitive affirmation of KAUST’s exceptional impact,” said KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC. “It cements our standing as a global hub for innovation and knowledge, elevating Saudi Arabia’s profile on the world stage. This back-to-back success, made possible by everyone at KAUST, underscores our transformative role in shaping a future defined by scientific and technological leadership.” 

KAUST shone in the THE Arab University Rankings 2024, surpassing 350 universities across the MENA region. Consecutive first-place wins in 2024 and 2023, following an impressive second-place ranking in 2022, emphasize the University’s growing momentum and leadership in the Arab and global academic communities. 

It follows KAUST’s recent achievement of leading the Middle East with 14 faculty members recognized in the 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list, reinforcing the University’s research-driven global impact. 

Founded in 2009 as part of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s transformative vision for a knowledge-driven economy, KAUST has swiftly risen as a world-class institution, advancing opportunities for Saudi and global citizens. Consecutive THE first-place rankings affirm KAUST’s vital contributions to scientific excellence and economic diversification, serving as a beacon for sustainable growth and prosperity through cutting-edge research, education and innovation. 

Outstanding performance 

For the 2024 THE rankings, KAUST achieved a score of 98.5 in the Research Environment pillar, highlighting its growing global and regional impact. The University also earned an impressive 95.7 in the Research Quality pillar. Bolstering these performances is the establishment of four new KAUST Centers of Excellence (CoEs) this year, dedicated to advancing critical research and development priorities for the Kingdom. 

These THE scores are in line with global leaders such as Cambridge and Harvard, showcasing KAUST’s world-class research quality and influence on the global stage. These accomplishments call attention to the University’s role in cultivating innovation, as well as global and regional partnerships. 

Year-over-year improvements in the Society pillar, with a score of 96.2, demonstrate KAUST’s increasing contributions to industry income and its strong performance in THE’s Impact Rankings, which measure progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Saudi Arabian universities took five of the top 10 spots in this year’s Arab University Rankings, including all of the top three. 

Rigorous assessment 

In its fourth edition, THE’s Arab University Rankings evaluated institutional excellence across 20 meticulously designed performance indicators. Central to this analysis was the Arab Reputation Survey, which garnered more than 36,000 votes in May and June, spotlighting KAUST’s distinguished learning environment and research prestige. 

Global citation analysis highlighted the quality and reach of KAUST’s pioneering research, while the International Outlook metric emphasized its role as a hub for global talent and knowledge exchange. 

The industry income metric, reflecting private-sector partnerships, further showcased KAUST’s contributions to technological advancement, knowledge transfer and economic impact. These accolades reaffirm KAUST’s leadership in education, research and global engagement.