3 Saudi universities receive top positions in QS rankings
Education is the cornerstone of economic development, says Spanish envoy
RIYADH: Three universities in the Kingdom have received top positions in the QS University Rankings for the Arab Region.
The three universities which received fivestar plus rankings include King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh and King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) in Jeddah.
Dr. Thurayya Arrayed, one of the first 30 women on the Shoura Council, said: “I am very proud of every scientific indication that our established universities are doing well and congratulate them. I am sure other universities such as KAUST are shining too.”
She said that every step Saudi Arabia takes toward excellence in its educational endeavors will be positive, and it is the need of the hour in this age of technology and research. “It is expected that our higher educational institutions should show signs of growing success in aligning their plans, performance, and projects with the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and Vision 2030,” she concluded, saying that she expects better results in the near future.
Shoura Council member Dr. Fayez Al-Shehri told Arab News that the remarkable performance of the three universities bears eloquent testimony to the contributions made by the government toward higher education.
He pointed out that there are 35 universities which include 25 government institutions that receive the best support from the government to produce erudite citizens.
Describing it as excellent news, Spanish Ambassador Alvaro Iranzo Gutiérrez, who holds a degree in law said: “Education is the cornerstone of the economic development and social program.”
Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi, a lawyer turned diplomat said that the achievement demonstrates a clear signal toward the road of a knowledge-based society. “The Kingdom, has been giving top priority to education for both males and females, and now it is bearing fruits,” the envoy added.
A Saudi journalist based in Dubai, Musad Al-Zayani, who follows the region for his newspaper, said this is a sign of the forward march of Saudi Arabia. “It’s a matter for rejoicing when three universities from the same country receive five-star plus ratings,” Al-Zayani, who was a product of the King Abdul Aziz University said, adding that it is because of the integrated Vision of the Kingdom, which is planned by the leadership to forge ahead in the years to come.
Congratulating the management of the three universities, Saudi writer Abdulhadi Habtor said it’s a remarkable achievement, and it clearly portrays the hard work rendered by these academic institutions.
Habtor, who was also a student at the King Abdul Aziz University said it reflects the developmental strides in Saudi Arabia toward Vision 2030. “Let us not be complacent with this situation; we should focus on other universities in the country too,” he concluded.