The Current State of Investment in Emerging Saudi Universities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current situation of investments in emerging Saudi universities and shed light on the critical issues that hinder investments in these universities. Unlike the older Saudi universities, which are largely located in major financial and economic centers, emerging universities are predominantly situated in smaller cities and rural and agricultural regions, which makes investment more challenging. A descriptive approach was utilized and data were gathered from a sample of 477 faculty members. The results revealed that the overall level of investment, the strategic clarity, and governance implementation were low; in addition, there was neither incentive system nor investment culture among the faculty members. The findings also indicated that challenges of investments were of moderate to relatively high level. The main issues encountered were limited capacity for establishing private sector partnerships, inadequate investment awareness, lack of specific skills, administrative burdens and lack of clear regulatory systems and autonomous decision-making power. Based on this study’s findings, we can conclude that the Saudi universities are still at the early stages of development and are shifting towards increased investment and shifting away from reliance on government aid, highlighting the importance of improving governance mechanisms, institutional capacities, and regulatory assistance to promote sustainable investments in the universities.