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The royal order issued Sunday by Saudi leadership appointed Dr. Najla bint Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri as president of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. Al-Tuwaijri previously served as the university’s vice president and brings deep experience in academic administration to the role. The move forms part of broader efforts to reinforce leadership across key educational institutions aligned with national development priorities.
Al-Tuwaijri held several senior leadership positions at the university, including dean of the College of Pharmacy and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, according to her professional profile on LinkedIn. She has served as a member of the university’s Scientific Council and on multiple specialized national committees under the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Her qualifications include a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences and a master’s degree in pharmaceutical analysis from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland along with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from King Saud University.
In a statement after the appointment, Al-Tuwaijri expressed gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. She described the appointment as “both an honor and a responsibility” and praised the kingdom’s leadership for its continued support of higher education and scientific research. Al-Tuwaijri added that leading the university represents a privilege and pledged to build on its accomplishments while extending appreciation to faculty and staff.
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s official website lists 34,520 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs across 18 colleges and 136 academic programs with 3,753 faculty members from 25 nationalities. The institution occupies a 13-million-square-meter campus with capacity for up to 60,000 students and stands as the largest women’s university globally, Wikipedia data confirms. The university has integrated initiatives supporting Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in advancing women’s participation in education and the workforce.
A 2023 study published in the journal Sustainability examined entrepreneurial intentions among female students at the university and connected those ambitions to national goals for economic diversification. The research, which surveyed more than 200 participants, underscored PNU’s role in designing programs and industry partnerships that align with Vision 2030 objectives. Such efforts have positioned the university as a contributor to human capital development in the kingdom.
Public universities accounted for approximately 1.87 million of Saudi Arabia’s 1.97 million tertiary enrollments in 2022, a report from Colliers noted. The assessment projected the need for more than 900,000 additional higher education seats by 2030 to accommodate population growth and rising demand at a 2.5 percent annual rate from the Ministry of Investment. Al-Tuwaijri’s regulatory experience on national committees is expected to support expanded compliance and quality standards at the university level.
