Assessing campus sustainability in Saudi universities: faculty perspectives and institutional challenges—a case study of three leading universities

Saudi Arabia is witnessing rapid growth in various developmental, economic, and social fields. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have received significant attention and are required to implement numerous reform and development programs stemming from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. As key drivers of change in achieving a culture of sustainability, these institutions have not responded adequately to the programs and visions endorsed by the government in the fields of sustainable development, the Saudi Green Initiative, and the Middle East Green Initiative. This study, conducted as a case study, aimed to assess the practices of prominent Saudi universities toward sustainability, focusing on the perspectives of faculty members as key stakeholders. A quantitative descriptive method was used, based on a questionnaire developed from relevant literature. The study sample consisted of 691 faculty members distributed across the studied universities. Results revealed limited faculty participation in sustainability activities and policy-making (means 2.33 out of 5), despite their high level of awareness (3.82 out of 5). Participants consistently rated institutional performance below expectations across all domains, with the domain of Learning and Teaching receiving the lowest rating (2.68), followed by Research and Development (2.89), Organizational governance, culture and Operations (2.94), and External Leadership (3.01). The study also found differences in how participants rated sustainability efforts based on their university and type of college. These results offer important insights for Saudi universities, especially given the prominent role of the institutions studied, and can help guide improvements in sustainability initiatives. They also provide crucial data for both top management and the government to support the development of HEIs and activate their roles in sustainability. The findings may contribute to enhancing sustainability practices not only in the selected universities but also more broadly across Saudi, the Middle East, and beyond.