Academic promotion is a key milestone in the career of every university faculty member. In Saudi Arabia, the process is regulated by official government guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education and implemented by all public universities. One of the most frequently asked questions by lecturers and researchers is:
“How many research papers are required for promotion to Assistant Professor or from Assistant Professor to higher ranks?”
This article will walk you through the academic system in Saudi Arabia, clarify what the Assistant Professor rank means, explain how you can reach it, and most importantly, how many research publications you need and what kind of journals are accepted.
The full detailed guide is available at this link, but here we have covered the most important points to help you understand the promotion process clearly.
In Saudi universities, the academic ranking system consists of several levels. These are:
Lecturer (محاضر)
Assistant Professor (أستاذ مساعد)
Associate Professor (أستاذ مشارک)
Professor (أستاذ)
An Assistant Professor is typically the first academic rank you earn after completing your Ph.D. It is considered the beginning of a career as a permanent faculty member with full responsibilities such as teaching, supervising students, and conducting research.
According to the Regulations for Saudi Universities Personnel, you need the following to be appointed as an Assistant Professor:
A doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or equivalent from a Saudi university or another accredited institution.
The approval of the University Council, which may set additional conditions based on the field of study.
There are special cases as outlined in Article 12 where someone without a Ph.D. may still be appointed as an Assistant Professor. This is rare and usually applies to disciplines that do not offer doctoral degrees (such as some in Islamic studies or the arts). In such cases, the following is required:
A Master’s degree in the field.
At least 3 years of experience as a lecturer.
At least 3 academic publications, one of which must be a sole-authored paper.
Once you become an Assistant Professor, the next academic rank is Associate Professor. Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor requires both experience and research output.
Here are the basic requirements based on Articles 21–32 of the official regulations:
You must have worked as an Assistant Professor for at least four (4) full years. This experience must be at a university-level academic institution.
You are required to publish a minimum of four (4) peer-reviewed research papers in recognized journals. These papers must meet the following conditions:
At least one paper must be authored solely by you.
All papers must be published or officially accepted during your service as an Assistant Professor (not before).
Journals must be recognized and approved by your university’s scientific council (typically indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed for medical fields).
The research must be in your field of specialization.
Promotions are not based on research alone. Your application will be scored out of 100 points, divided into:
Criteria | Points |
Academic Research Achievements | Up to 60 |
Teaching Performance | Up to 25 |
University and Community Service | Up to 15 |
To qualify for promotion, you must:
Score at least 60 out of 100 overall.
Score a minimum of 35 points in the research category.
Your research papers are sent for peer review to three referees (two of them must be from outside your university). If two out of three approve, your promotion is granted. If not, a fourth referee may be assigned to break the tie.
Saudi universities require publications to be in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Here are the commonly accepted indexing databases:
Scopus
Web of Science (WoS) — especially SCIE, SSCI, AHCI
PubMed / Medline — for medicine and health sciences
Some universities may have their own list of approved journals or publishers. Always check with your department or the Deanship of Scientific Research.
Important: Publications in predatory or unindexed journals will be rejected and may affect your application negatively. It’s your responsibility to verify the journal’s credibility before submitting your work.
Here is a simple checklist to prepare your promotion file:
Four (4) years of service as Assistant Professor
Four (4) research papers (at least 1 sole-authored)
Papers are published during current rank
Journals are indexed (Scopus, WoS, etc.)
Strong teaching performance
Evidence of service and university participation
Complete promotion application form
Updated academic CV and personal file
Copies of all research papers and acceptance letters
Recommendation letters from your department
The time frame depends on your university. After submitting your application, the following happens:
Your file is reviewed by your department and college.
It is forwarded to the Scientific Council.
Your papers are sent for external peer review.
Based on reviewer reports and scoring, a decision is made.
If approved, the promotion is official upon the President’s decision.
This process may take 6–12 months, depending on response times and reviewer availability.
Many researchers find it difficult to:
Choose the right journal that matches their specialty and university criteria.
Format the manuscript according to the journal’s guidelines.
Submit their paper through complex online systems.
That’s where SITA Publishing can help.
We offer:
Journal recommendations based on your field and goals
Formatting services (APA, MLA, Chicago, or per journal style)
Submission support with full tracking
Plagiarism and language checks
We help ensure your paper meets all journal standards and improve your chances of successful publication.
Send Us Your Field and Research Scope
Bellow channels are available to contact our team:
If you have any questions, inquiries, or would like to learn more about our services, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you.
