Al Kharj, Dhu al-Hijjah 28, 1446 AH (corresponding to June 24, 2025 AD)
Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) achieved significant progress in the indicators of higher education, scientific research, digital transformation, and community service during the academic year 1446 AH. This progress reflects its commitment to achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and to continuing to consolidate its position as a national academic institution capable of supporting development goals and building an integrated university model in terms of performance and impact.
The university received prestigious international academic recognition by obtaining the "Triple Crown University" classification, following its entry for the first time in the QS World University Rankings 2026, within the range (721-730) globally, ranking among the top (10) Saudi universities. The "Triple Crown" ranking is awarded to universities that are included in three of the most prominent and trusted global academic rankings, including the Times Higher Education (THE), the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), and the QS ranking. The QS report demonstrated the university's excellence in several prominent indicators, ranking 109th globally and third among Saudi universities in the indicators of international faculty, diversity of academic staff, and international research network. This reflects the university's growing influence on the national and international scene. It was also ranked among the top 100 universities globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, after achieving advanced positions in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 5 on gender equality, affirming its commitment to the values of sustainability and social responsibility. The university also received support for seven research proposals from the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority, as part of its 2024 initiatives, in the fields of basic sciences and applied and technical research. This reflects the university's commitment to strengthening the scientific research and innovation system and achieving the transition to an integrated knowledge economy in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
In the area of digital transformation and e-learning, the university achieved the "Excellence" category in the National Digital Education Index, with a digital transformation rate of 82.85%, achieving eighth place among (32) educational institutions. This translates into the implementation of more than 4,500 e-courses, granting 2,200 students flexible learning paths, and uploading approximately 1,880 open educational resources to the OERx platform. The university also developed the "Reports" platform to monitor college interactions with the Blackboard system, reflecting its unwavering commitment to institutional transformation towards a sustainable digital environment. In terms of admission and academic expansion, the number of male and female students at the university increased to more than (31) thousand, including (883) non-Saudi students. This is a well-planned expansion that reflects the university's attraction of qualified students from within and outside the Kingdom. Meanwhile, under the "Student Qualification" track, the university launched several qualitative initiatives in partnership with national entities, most notably (13) programs to qualify (1,000) graduates in cooperation with the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), and seven short university programs in cooperation with the National Center for E-Learning.
The university also launched the "Misk Skills" initiative, which benefited more than (400) students and resulted in the graduation of (46) male and female students with a labor market readiness certificate. Meanwhile, the university continued its expansion in graduate programs by launching (39) qualitative programs, the first of which was the "PhD in Computing" program, recording a growth of (142.3%) in the number of graduate students accepted during the year. In the field of research and science, the university continued to achieve advanced figures, publishing approximately (21) thousand scientific papers since 2019, with the number of scientific citations exceeding (275) thousand, with a global scientific citation rate of 73% compared to its peers in the rate of citation of university research.
The university maintained its fifth place among Saudi universities in the volume of scientific publications for the fourth consecutive year, with continued excellence in publishing in internationally ranked journals within Q1 and Q2. The university's Department of Mathematics also achieved a global ranking among the top 100-150 departments according to the prestigious Shanghai Ranking, enhancing its position internationally and reflecting institutional excellence and global competitiveness. The university did not neglect its societal role, as it implemented (535) social responsibility programs that benefited approximately (43) thousand beneficiaries, and provided (614) volunteer opportunities that accommodated (3,585) volunteers, with (27,474) volunteer hours, achieving a satisfaction rate of (99.98%), which translates the university's commitment to its societal role and enhances the culture of giving. At the level of awards and accreditations, the university obtained a number of international certificates, including the ISO 22301 certificate in business continuity management, accreditation of dental clinics as a training center for the Saudi Board, and central laboratories according to international standards, in addition to winning seven international medals at the Geneva Exhibition of Inventions. In the context of enhancing spending and operational efficiency, the university achieved savings of 32.6% within the energy consumption rationalization project, and implemented a series of administrative and financial initiatives that enhanced spending and operational efficiency, including the launch of the “Green University” initiative to expand the cultivated areas within the university campus to cover 200,000 square meters, in order to enhance the sustainable environmental approach. The university also won the bronze medal and third place among universities in the Ministry of Finance Award for the project to transition to the basis of accounting accrual, achieving a result of 3 out of 3 in the evaluation of the Authority for Spending Efficiency in Government Projects, which confirms its excellence in financial and operational management.
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