Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has advanced three ranks in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in 2023, with 25 Saudi universities securing a presence in the global performance index.
The number of Saudi universities was 22 in 2022 within the international ranking, which sorts universities that impact achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs are a set of 17 goals that were adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015. The goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.
The rankings assess universities against the SDGs in four areas–Research, Outreach, Stewardship and Teaching.
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) ranked fifth in 2023 among world universities affecting the achievement of the goal of Good Health and Well-Being within the SDGs.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) ranked fifth under the SDGs for Clean Water and Sanitation and Life Below Water.
King Faisal University (KFU), Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), and KAUST are among the universities in the ranks of 101-200 in the general global ranking of universities that impact achieving the SDGs.
Four Saudi universities ranked among places 201-300: Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU); AlMaarefa University (UM) and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
Prince Sultan University (PSU) ranked among the 301-400 ranks, while King Khalid University (KKU) and Qassim University (QU) came among the 401-600 ranks.
The three top ranking universities in 2023 were University of Auckland (New Zealand), University of British Columbia (Canada) and University of Melbourne (Australia).