There are various kinds of institutions of higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some of them are under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education (mainly, the eight universities), while the others are run by other government agencies or ministries. The General Presidency of Female Education manages and finances 50 women's colleges of education; the Ministry of Education supervises 18 teachers colleges. These institutions have a total of 307,351 students (131,659 male and 169,692 female) and 15,167 teaching staff (9,857 male and 5,310 female).

Institutions of higher education below the level of the bachelorís degree include 34 colleges for the health-related professions, 20 women's junior collegers, 3 community colleges, 12 technical colleges, and 2 industrial arts colleges. There are also a number of military and security colleges that are beyond the scope of this article.

The Saudi system of higher education has had to face several challenges in the past few decades. The first challenge has come from the rapid pace of progress in Saudi society: dramatic changes in literacy, family income, modernization, and social mobility--in the transition from a mainly tribal and nomadic society to an urban one. These internal changes could not have happened without external forces such as the emergence of a more open economy, exposure to foreigners from almost every country of the world, industrialization, and, lately, war. Although these developments have influenced the development of Saudi higher education, the real pressures on the institutions of higher education have come from the beneficiaries (the labor market and students alike), whose impact is beginning to be felt by colleges and universities all over the country

Rising Demand
Saudi higher education is under mounting pressure to admit more students than it is really capable of handling--to accommodate the ever-increasing number of high school graduates. The rising demand is due in part to individuals and families looking for ways to supplement their income (university students in Saudi Arabia receive a monthly stipend of $300). Higher education is also viewed as a way to avoid dangers of having large numbers of unemployed young people.

To address this issue, Saudi higher education is studying the possibilities of a national entrance examination for high school graduates. Those who do not qualify for admission would have to enter a one-year program of general courses. Students who successfully complete these courses could then proceed to the university. Those who did not pass would be asked to take other courses to complete the requirements for a junior diploma, which should prepare them for the labor market. The main difficulty with such programs, however, is the possibility that their diplomas may not be recognized by the public and private sectors.

This situation reflects the lack of coordination between higher education institutions (which enjoy a certain degree of autonomy in terms of planning, organization, and policies) and the public and private sectors. This disconnect has led in the past to the doubling of programs that are not necessarily relevant for national development plans or the labor market. To address this problem, a group made up of representatives of government, business, and the universities in the Arab Gulf States have recently held their fourth meeting in Kuwait. They have started to work out new proposals to guide universities and colleges in setting up their programs to meet the needs of the market and to maintain high academic standards.

The Need to Nationalize the Work Force
This cooperation between the private and public sector and the universities came about as a result of the policy of nationalizing the work force in the Arab Gulf States. Saudi Arabia, for example, has 7 million foreign workers in a population of 16 million. Higher education, therefore, is assigned the responsibility of replacing these foreign workers with qualified and competitive Saudis. The massive expansion of higher education would not have been possible without a reliance on faculty members from other countries. Saudi higher education now needs to create a balance between the expansion in programs, students, and institutions and the preparation of Saudi nationals. While recruiting well-qualified scholars from other countries has had a positive impact on the Saudi higher education in the short run, foreign faculty members are not the right solution in the long term. This issue will be an ongoing concern for Saudi higher education in the future, given the quick growth in higher education.

Student Allowance Policy
The continuing support for students in the form of monthly allowances in the absence of tuition and fees crates a heavty burden on the budgets of higher education institutions and limits the expansion and improvement of academic programs and university services. The irony, however, is that such financial support was introduced as an incentive to students to join higher education. While it is a sensitive issue, the student allowance program is increasingly coming under fire. Higher education institutions are considering many proposals that are aimed at reforming this generous program. One proposal would link this financial support with student achievement. Such a policy would reduce the financial drain on institutions and the rate of student dropouts from colleges and universities.

Competition is an area of great concern now. The purposes of these discussions are to encourage competition between the different institutions of higher education, and to attract the best students from all over the country. Some universities and colleges have started self-evaluation in the above areas in order to secure a place for their graduates in the job market and to win the recognition and trust of the private- and public-sector employers. This is in addition to the academic requirements to improve and update their programs according to the national and international standards.

In summary, the Saudi higher education is going through many changes--imposed on it by international economic developments and by national economic and social needs.