HIGHER EDUCATION AND MODERNIZATION IN SAUDI ARABIA: AN INQUIRY INTO THE SOCIETAL VALUES OF SAUDI COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND THEIR ROLES IN THE ECONOMIC AND NON-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDO

This study is devoted to the examination of the societal values of higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The significance of this study stems from the fact that Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing an era of transition from the traditional lifestyle toward modernization. Higher education, through its major functions of teaching, research, and public service, is playing a major role in the noneconomic (political and social) and economic development of the Kingdom. The contributions of higher education to the national development of Saudi Arabia are numerous and vary from preserving the Islamic cultural values to developing highly qualified human resources.;Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to assess the societal benefits of Saudi higher education. Specifically, the study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What is the magnitude of societal values that Saudi colleges and universities have been contributing to the modernization of the Kingdom? (2) How effective have the Saudi universities been in responding to the overall noneconomic and economic development of the Kingdom? (3) Is a relationship between the noneconomic, economic, and higher education development of the Kindgom evident? (4) Is the governmental investment in higher education worthwhile? (5) What further higher education policies and strategies can be recommended from the conclusions and findings of this study?;The major conclusion of this inquiry is that Saudi higher education is highly beneficial to the Saudi society. In a monetary sense, the net benefit of Saudi higher education is equal to its total cost at various levels of interest rates. If the nonmonetary benefits such as preserving the Islamic cultural values and providing various types of leadership for the Kindgom are counted, there is little doubt that the public investment in higher education is worthwhile.