In a move reflecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s interest in raising the efficiency of the university education sector to align with the goals of Vision 2030, the Shura Council held its regular session today (Monday) under the chairmanship of His Excellency the Speaker of the Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, where it issued a package of important decisions and recommendations directed to a number of Saudi universities, which focused in their entirety on empowerment, digital transformation, and financial sustainability.

Development context and strategic direction

These recommendations come at a time when the Kingdom's education sector is undergoing radical transformations aimed at bridging the gap between educational outcomes and the evolving needs of the labor market. The Human Capital Development Program is a cornerstone of the vision upon which these directives are based, as the Council, through its decisions, seeks to encourage universities to adopt more efficient operational models based on self-financing, innovation, and comprehensive digitalization, rather than relying entirely on traditional government support.

Women's empowerment and institutional excellence

During the session, the council directed Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University to adopt an institutional identity that directly focuses on empowering women in areas of national development priority. This recommendation is particularly important given the significant strides Saudi women have recently made in the labor market. The council also urged the university to increase its recruitment of international students and develop student exchange programs, which will enhance cultural diversity and improve the university's global ranking and academic reputation.

In a related context, the council called on Al-Baha University to address shortcomings in institutional performance and raise the quality of educational and research outputs, stressing the importance of highlighting the university’s identity in a manner that is appropriate to the comparative advantages of the Al-Baha region, and developing the digital transformation system and partnerships with the private sector to ensure sustainability.

Innovation and the knowledge economy

The Council's recommendations to King Faisal University focused on the economic aspect of knowledge, calling for maximizing the benefits of innovative products and patents and transforming them into sustainable investment models. It also urged the university to leverage its digital infrastructure to develop a smart student guidance system. This step is essential for transforming universities from purely academic institutions into productive research centers that contribute to the national economy.

Preserving heritage and digital transformation

The session also addressed the issue of heritage, with the council urging the Islamic University of Madinah to digitize its library's paper holdings. This initiative aims to preserve and make Islamic and scientific heritage globally accessible, while respecting intellectual property rights. The council also called upon Jeddah University to complete its digital transformation and establish a unified database.

Localization of talent and financial sustainability

Regarding human resources, the council urged Hafr Al-Batin University to attract qualified national academic staff and provide scholarship opportunities for outstanding students to address staffing shortages and enhance the scientific research environment. Discussions also touched upon the importance of diversifying income sources through endowments and self-investments to ensure the financial and operational sustainability of universities, a point emphasized by council members in their comments on the reports from Majmaah University and Jeddah University.

The session concluded with the approval of two memoranda of understanding; the first between the Supreme Commission for Industrial Security and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, and the second between the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies, which strengthens international and local cooperation in the security and logistics fields.

In a move aimed at raising the efficiency of the higher education sector and aligning its outputs with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the Shura Council held its regular session today (Monday) under the chairmanship of His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, where it issued a package of important decisions and recommendations directed to a number of Saudi universities, which focused in their entirety on digital transformation, women’s empowerment, and enhancing innovation and financial sustainability.

The context of university development and Vision 2030

These recommendations come within the context of the comprehensive development movement underway in the Kingdom's education sector, which is based on the new university system aimed at granting academic institutions controlled autonomy that enables them to build their own resources. The Shura Council's call for universities to focus on "digital transformation" and "investment" is an integral part of the national transformation strategy to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy and reduce total dependence on direct government support by diversifying income sources through endowments and university-based companies.

Women's empowerment and corporate identity

During the session, the council directed Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University to adopt a clear institutional identity that focuses primarily on empowering women in areas of national development priority. The council also emphasized the importance of increasing the number of international students and activating student exchange programs, which will enhance cultural diversity and raise the university's global ranking and academic reputation.

Addressing shortcomings and enhancing quality

Regarding Al-Baha University, the council called for expediting the addressing of shortcomings in institutional performance, emphasizing the need to improve the quality of educational and research outputs. The recommendations stressed the importance of the university reflecting the region's identity and comparative advantages, along with the necessity of developing its digital infrastructure and building strategic partnerships with the private sector to ensure financial sustainability.

Innovation and the knowledge economy

In order to strengthen the knowledge economy, the Council urged King Faisal University to maximize the utilization of its innovative products, including patents and business incubators, and transform them into profitable investment models. The Council also called on the university to leverage its digital infrastructure to develop a smart student advising system, with a focus on data governance and privacy protection.

Heritage preservation and digital transformation

Among the prominent recommendations, which carry a global cultural and Islamic dimension, is the Council's request that the Islamic University of Madinah digitize its library's paper holdings. This step aims not only for preservation but also to make the scientific and Islamic heritage available to researchers worldwide, thus reinforcing the Kingdom's leading role in serving Islam and the Arabic language, while respecting intellectual property rights.

Additional recommendations and memoranda of understanding

The session also included demands for Jeddah University to complete the digital transformation system and establish an investment system for endowments, calls for Hafr Al-Batin University to attract national talent, and observations on the performance of Majmaah University to enhance the governance of initiatives.

The session concluded with the approval of two memoranda of understanding; the first between the High Commission for Industrial Security and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, and the second between the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and its Tunisian counterpart for cooperation in the postal sector.