Umm Al-Qura University has advanced 5 positions in the QS ranking of the Arab Universities for the year 2021, ranking 17 out of 160 Arab universities after ranking 22 in 2020. This comes within the university's pursuit to strengthen its competitiveness at the local and international levels, in line with its strategic plan and development objectives which are in agreement with the Saudi Vision 2030.

Meanwhile, the UQU Vice President, Prof. Farid Al-Ghamdi, referred to the complementary role of the university's academic, research, knowledge and community service sectors. He also indicated the university's contribution with the expertise of its affiliates and its different potentials in improving the university's outcomes and developing its programs to be compatible with the development momentum in the labor market.

On his part, the UQU Assistant Vice President for Development and Community Service, Prof. Khalid Barqawi, highlighted the development the university is currently witnessing in various streams. Furthermore, he pointed out the steps the university has taken in harnessing scientific potentials and expertise to achieve its future objectives and aspirations with regard to developing the academic reputation and the programs offered by the university to the different categories of the community, after measuring the extent of the programs' suitability to their needs. This is in addition to developing the educational outcomes to be in line with the trends of job opportunities, to gain the satisfaction of the employers, and to provide opportunities for students and academic staff from around the word to join the university.

Moreover, Prof. Barqawi referred to the role of the advisory team for the ranking in preparing and developing the university indicators to be in line with the standards of the international universities, in addition to developing the Graduates Unit and forming a committee to boost the university's competitiveness in the universities rankings. The professor stressed the significant role of the committee in making the university reach the sought after position at the regional and international levels.

The QS Ranking for Arab universities is one of the important regional rankings associated with QS International Universities Ranking according to set standards which include the academic reputation, the reputation among employers, the quality of the learning, the quality of the university's research and knowledge output, the proportions of foreign academic staff members and students, and the extent of the global impact on the internet.

It is to be noted that Umm Al-Qura University is also included in the list of the top 500 global universities. It advanced in the British QS ranking list of international universities for the year 2021, achieving the 474 position, in return for the efforts of its sectors in optimally investing the potentials of its employees and students and channeling them into specific streams to achieve international quality standards.