The Population Studies Center at King Saud University was established by a resolution of the Higher Education Council in 2009 (1430 AH) to address population issues and contribute to achieving Saudi Arabia’s strategic developmental objectives. Professor Rashid bin Mohammed Al-Kharif was appointed as the supervisor of the Center.

Studies and research on population issues and their impact on development have attracted great interest from governments, universities, research institutions, and international organizations—particularly in developing countries that are experiencing rapid population growth, internal migration from rural to urban areas, and cross-border labor movements. This attention reflects the significant effects of population dynamics on demographic structures and on various economic, social, and environmental aspects.

Saudi Arabia’s extensive development projects have been accompanied by rapid demographic changes, including rising birth rates and declining mortality rates, resulting in high population growth. These changes have also led to the redistribution of the population, internal migration toward major cities, and urban concentration during the 1970s and 1980s—creating challenges such as unemployment, congestion, traffic accidents, and pressure on public infrastructure and services.

In this context, the Eighth Development Plan emphasized the need to “adopt a population policy that takes into account both quantitative and qualitative changes in population distribution and enhances the relationship between demographic variables and sustainable development goals.”

Population study centers play an essential role in providing data and analysis for researchers and policymakers across social, economic, educational, and health sectors, through studies on fertility, mortality, and migration. With the increasing importance of population censuses, demographic surveys, and population-development interactions, the need for such centers has become more urgent to prepare skilled professionals capable of managing population data effectively.

Given the absence of specialized population research centers in Saudi universities, the establishment of this center was crucial—particularly since many countries around the world have created similar institutions recognizing their developmental importance. King Saud University already possesses the academic expertise required for such a center, including specialists in demography, geography, sociology, economics, and health sciences, forming its scientific and professional foundation.