Saudi universities, particularly those for women, have poor infrastructure and autocratic leadership, a women-education expert said.

Nouf Nasser Al-Tamimi, undersecretary for development and quality at Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz University, was speaking at an international conference in Dammam on the quality of domestic education.

Al-Tamimi said the problem has resulted in cost overruns and inefficiencies at universities.

“The buildings, equipment, scientific and human resources are a problem,” said Al-Tamimi, adding that local universities are recruiting staff in all the wrong places.

She said “the single leadership prevailing at Saudi universities results in wasting of time, effort and funds.”

“Any major project assumed by an official is wasted once he step down from the post, without achieving any given objectives and goals,” she said.

Al-Tamimi said the new appointees often reject earlier projects and start a new one, resulting in a waste of resources. This problem can only be solved by “institutionalyzing the original base of work.”

Other academics participating in the event said positive developments were taking place at local universities. They said that local institutes have proven their worth because many of them have been accredited by the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA).

Fouz Muhammad Al-Saleh, deputy of the community college at Shaqra University, said that the college has obtained academic accreditation from the American Board of Accreditation, “thanks to the support higher education is getting from the authorities.”

She said Saudi universities offer courses that meet the needs of the jobs market, such as computer networking, secretarial study, business administration, accounting, and human resources.

Al-Saleh said academic accreditation was a fair and just way to prove skills and determine merit.

Awatif Abdulaziz Al-Dhafar, deputy dean of the university for quality assurance and academic accreditation, said: “Quality assurance places a huge responsibility on educational institutions to pursue and maintain development.”