Riyadh, June 09, 2022, SPA -- The number of Saudi universities in the QS World University Ranking Index jumped to 16 universities for the year 2023, an increase by seven universities compared to the 2019 ranking. The QS World University Ranking Index has seen a growth in the number of Saudi universities included in the classification system, over five consecutive years, starting from 2019 with 9 universities, and 2020 with 10 universities, while in 2021, 11 universities were included in the QS classification, constant increase for the first three years at the rate of one university for each year, up to 14 universities in 2022, and 16 universities in the 2023 ranking, with five universities entering the classification in the last two versions of the ranking. With this new progress, the Kingdom is 6 places away to be included in the top 100 international universities list. According to the QS World University Ranking Index, King Abdulaziz University tops the Saudi universities, followed by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and King Saud University. Al-Faisal and Northern Border Universities also entered the rankings for the first time in the new ranking. The QS classification evaluates universities per several criteria, mainly the university’s reputation, which is calculated in the largest survey of academic opinions around the world, by sending it to more than 130,000 experts. --SPA 16:23 LOCAL TIME 13:23 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1744606