King Saud University Achieves Record-Setting Global Research Rankings, Rising into World’s Top 2 Percent\

RIYADH: There are now 151 researchers from King Saud University College of Science identified among the world’s top 2 percent of scientists in a global citation-based ranking—a nearly 36 percent increase from 2025 data as reported by Dr. Zaid Al-Othman, dean of the college.

Academics at the college attribute the surge to interdisciplinary collaboration, robust institutional support, and research addressing national and global challenges.

The announcement is part of the ninth edition of Stanford University’s annual list published by Elsevier, based on Scopus database data.

The Single-Year Impact list draws on Scopus data, primarily measuring scientific citations received by researchers’ work during 2025—not including self-citations and accounting for authorship roles such as lead, corresponding, or sole author.

The ranking employs a composite indicator, or c-score, emphasizing research quality and actual impact measured by citation frequency, rather than relying solely on publication volume.

This classification spans 20 major scientific fields and 174 subfields, aligned with the Science-Metrix taxonomy.

“This achievement reflects the strength of the college’s research ecosystem, built upon distinguished scientific expertise, a broad diversity of knowledge, and the integration of fundamental and applied disciplines.”

Al-Othman further emphasized that “the success is complemented by research partnerships that contribute to addressing scientific challenges with both local and global dimensions.”

He also highlighted the university’s broader ambition: “Our goal extends beyond merely increasing the number of our researchers on global lists; we aim to build a sustainable research ecosystem that generates scientific impact and creates a foundation for successive generations of distinguished researchers.”

“Empowering young researchers, involving them in high-quality projects and developing their skills, remains a priority,” Al-Othman added.

The growing presence of the college’s scholars enhances King Saud University’s research reputation and bolsters its competitiveness in international rankings, he noted.

“This underscores the university’s role as a leading academic institution contributing to the realization of the goals set out in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan,” he said.

“The scholarly depth, originality, and quality of the scientific research—combined with discipline integration and interconnections—have rendered the output distinguished and rich.”

Prof. Khalid Al-Qahtani, faculty member in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, remarked that “the scholarly depth, originality, and quality of the scientific research, combined with the integration of disciplines and interconnections between various fields of study, have rendered the research output both distinguished and rich.”

The College of Science’s diverse scientific disciplines facilitate interdisciplinary research aimed at addressing complex scientific and developmental challenges, he noted.

“A passion for scientific research and a focus on research quality—this is the fruit of years of sustained effort, supported throughout by King Saud University, which has provided a stimulating research environment.”

Prof. Asma Al-Huqail, faculty member in the Department of Botany and Microbiology, said that “a passion for scientific research and a focus on research quality—the fruit of years of sustained effort, supported throughout by King Saud University, which has provided a stimulating research environment.”

The college’s research output is distinguished by its focus on both fundamental and applied research aligned with modern scientific trends, supported by a stimulating environment and highly competent academic staff, she explained.

“The college continues conducting studies that address significant scientific and environmental challenges, while ensuring that research is published in high-impact scientific journals so it may be read by a wide range of researchers and serve as a reference for them.”

Prof. Talal Al-Harbi, faculty member in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, stated that “the college is continuing to conduct studies that address significant scientific and environmental challenges, while also ensuring that research is published in high-impact scientific journals so it may be read by a wide range of researchers and serve as a reference for them,” he added.

This accomplishment carries considerable scientific responsibility, motivating him to develop even more impactful research that contributes to innovative solutions for water and environmental challenges, he said.