Riyadh: University of Hafr Al Batin achieved a significant advance in the 2026 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, published by Times Higher Education. The university ranked in the 401-600 global band among 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories included in the assessment.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the university also recorded strong performances across several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It ranked 18th globally for SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and 49th globally for SDG 4: Quality Education.

It was also placed in the 101-200 global band for both SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, the 201-300 band for SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, and the 301-400 band for SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.

The rankings are based on four key criteria-research, governance, community engagement, and teaching-which serve as core indicators for measuring universities' impact in advancing sustainability and strengthening their contribution to addressing development challenges at the local, regional, and global levels.