Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University has climbed more than 250 places in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2026, moving up to the 201–300 global band compared to the 401–600 band last year. This marks a new achievement for the university, placing it among the world’s top 40 universities in three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting the accelerating progress in its journey toward global leadership in sustainability.
This rapid advancement highlights the success of the university’s strategic direction in integrating sustainability principles across its educational, research, and innovation systems, while also expanding effective partnerships and community engagement. These efforts align with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to develop the higher education sector and enhance the international presence of Saudi universities.
The results show the university’s global and national leadership in SDG 5 (Gender Equality), where it ranked 27th globally, rising sharply from 88th in 2025, while maintaining its first place among Saudi universities. This reflects its ongoing efforts to empower women and foster an inclusive and supportive institutional environment.
The university also achieved a significant leap in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), advancing from the 101–200 band to 18th place globally, and moving from 6th to 3rd nationally. This progress is driven by the expansion of international collaborations and joint research partnerships supporting sustainable development goals, highlighted by the launch of the “PSAU Global South Partnership” initiative.
In addition, the university continued its strong performance in SDG 4 (Quality Education), advancing to 34th globally compared to 51st in 2025. This demonstrates the quality of its educational outcomes and its continued commitment to developing a high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable learning environment.
These results further strengthen the university’s growing position among leading global academic institutions in sustainability, reflecting the impact of its institutional strategy in transforming sustainability commitments into tangible international achievements and influential partnerships that support development at both national and global levels.
