KAUST has been ranked first in the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings for the second consecutive year, outperforming over 350 universities in the MENA region. KAUST excels in research environment and quality, with scores of 98.5 and 95.7, respectively, comparable to global institutions like Cambridge and Harvard. This recognition highlights KAUST's role in advancing Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and its growing impact on the global stage. Why it matters: This ranking solidifies KAUST's position as a leading research university in the Arab world and a key contributor to the development of a knowledge-based economy in Saudi Arabia.
KAUST has been ranked No. 1 in the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings for the third consecutive year. The 2025 edition of the rankings evaluated universities across 20 key indicators, including global citation impact and industry collaboration. Sixteen of KAUST's faculty were named on the 2025 Clarivate highly cited list. Why it matters: This recognition reinforces KAUST’s position as a leading research university in the Arab world and reflects Saudi Arabia’s increasing global competitiveness in research, innovation, and advanced education.
KAUST was ranked first in the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings 2023, improving from second place the previous year. KAUST achieved a perfect score of 100 for research environment and saw improvements in industry income and international outlook. KAUST's supercomputer Shaheen III was also ranked the most powerful in the Middle East and #20 globally. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the increasing strength of Saudi Arabian universities and the region's growing focus on research, development, and innovation, especially in areas like AI.
KAUST will host the Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit from October 7-9, 2025, the first time the event will be held in the Middle East. The summit's theme is "Universities as agents of progress," focusing on how universities drive innovation, sustainability, and global collaboration. Speakers include KAUST faculty such as Sami Al Ghamdi, Dana Al-Sulaiman, Carlos Duarte, and Juergen Schmidhuber. Why it matters: This event highlights KAUST's and Saudi Arabia's growing role in science, innovation, and higher education in the region.
KAUST achieved its highest ranking in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, placing in the top 100 globally. It ranked in the top 10 worldwide in SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG14 (Life Below Water). KAUST also ranked fifth among Arab universities and third among Saudi Arabian universities. Why it matters: This recognition highlights the increasing emphasis on sustainability in Saudi Arabia's research and innovation ecosystem, with KAUST playing a leading role.
KAUST has been ranked sixth globally and first in the MENA region in the Nature Young Universities Index, which lists the top 175 universities established in the last 50 years. The ranking is based on fractional count of articles published in 2018 in 82 high-quality natural science journals. The report praised KAUST's research quality and contribution to total research outputs in the Middle East. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the rapid rise of KAUST as a leading research institution in the region and globally, demonstrating Saudi Arabia's commitment to scientific advancement.
KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau spoke at the Times Higher Education MENA Universities Summit in Doha, Qatar. He shared his experiences from Caltech and Georgia Tech, emphasizing KAUST's historic undertaking. KAUST's research output leads Saudi Arabia and surpassed other Arab institutes in 2014 according to the Nature Index report. Why it matters: The summit and KAUST's participation highlight the increasing role of universities in driving economic diversification and knowledge creation in the MENA region.