KAUST was ranked first in Saudi Arabia and in the global top twenty in the Nature Index Annual Tables' new normalized ranking. The ranking considers the number of high-quality articles published as a proportion of an institute's overall output in the natural sciences. This normalized ranking allows institutions of different sizes to be compared on the same basis. Why it matters: This ranking highlights KAUST's growing impact on global scientific research and its commitment to producing high-quality publications.
KAUST's nanoscience and nanotechnology program was ranked 18th globally in the 2022 US News & World Report's Best Global Universities list. The ranking reflects KAUST's strong performance in basic and applied research at the micro and nano levels, spanning disciplines from chemistry to medical science. KAUST scored 81.7 out of 100, with high scores in citations, normalized citation impact, and international collaboration. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the growing prominence of Middle Eastern universities in advanced scientific fields and KAUST's contributions to global nanoscience research.
MBZUAI has been ranked 127th globally among institutions conducting computer science research and ranks 30th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, and NLP. This places MBZUAI ahead of universities such as the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, Imperial College London and others. MBZUAI is now the top-ranked CS institution in the Arab World and the Middle East and Africa according to CSRankings. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the rapid growth and increasing prominence of AI research in the UAE and the broader Middle East.
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.