King Khalid University has made a significant leap in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Universities, climbing to the 401-500 bracket worldwide. This positions the university as the fifth best in Saudi Arabia, solidifying its standing as a leading academic and research institution both nationally and internationally.

This advancement is a direct result of the university's ongoing efforts to enhance its academic programs and bolster its research capabilities in accordance with global best practices. It is also a testament to the university's ambitious strategy aimed at achieving excellence in education and scientific research, aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Asir development strategy.

Prof. Hamid bin Majdou’ Al-Qarni, the university's Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, attributed this achievement to the university's focus on improving the quality of published scientific research, increasing citation rates, and fostering international research collaborations. He highlighted that the university's excellence in the Shanghai Ranking's criteria, which include teaching quality, academic staff excellence, research output, and academic performance relative to the institution's size, were the foundation of these successes.

On this occasion, Al-Qarni congratulated the academic teams, faculty members, and students for their significant efforts that contributed to this remarkable achievement. He emphasized that the university's commitment to excellence in research and innovation reflects its vision of being a role model in higher education, thereby enhancing its standing among prestigious global universities. He stressed the need to continue strengthening the university's role as a primary driver of academic and research development at both the national and international levels.

Dr. Mohammad bin Saeed Al-Qahtani, Supervisor of the International Rankings Unit, explained that this distinction reflects the university's superiority in several indicators, including research quality and high citation rates for the university's research output. He noted the significant improvement the university has witnessed in its research performance over the past five years, both in terms of quantity and quality, which has positively impacted its ranking in various international classifications.

Al-Qahtani also commended the institutional efforts made by colleges, scientific departments, supporting deanships, administrations, and various entities within the university through providing data, developing programs, and stimulating academic and research collaborations at both the national and international levels.

It is worth noting that this achievement comes amid the remarkable development witnessed by the university at various levels, whether in terms of advanced infrastructure, leading academic and research programs, or through its close relations with the Asir region community through its diverse voluntary and participatory programs that serve its research and academic programs. This progress is a confirmation of the university's commitment to achieving the goals of its 2030 strategy and its aspiration to global leadership in academic, research, and innovative fields. Through these successes, King Khalid University seeks to strengthen its position as a leading institution in supporting sustainable development and advanced education in the Kingdom, driven by a clear vision aimed at transforming challenges into opportunities and moving forward towards achieving more accomplishments in the near future.