Khaberni - The Presidents of Tafila Technical University and Al al-Bayt University confirmed that the exacerbation of official university debts is primarily due to a crisis in management and financial planning more than a direct funding crisis, pointing out that limited government support, rising operating costs, and salary inflation, along with the stability of tuition fees since the 1990s, have been major pressure factors leading to the accumulation of debt.
This was stated during their appearance on the Kingdom channel program, where they emphasized that university hourly rates have not seen significant adjustments despite successive inflation waves and rising operating costs, reflecting negatively on the financial sustainability of universities and weakening their ability to meet their obligations.
They explained that the universities face high operational burdens including salaries, maintenance, energy, and services, noting that more than 60% of some universities' allocations go to salaries, limiting financial flexibility and reducing the capacity for expansion and academic development.
Osama Naseer, the president of Al al-Bayt University, mentioned that establishing universities in various provinces has helped to expand higher education and promote developmental justice, but it has, in turn, imposed significant financial burdens on the state and the universities.
He added that Al al-Bayt University has begun a financial recovery path by controlling expenses, opening new faculties and specializations, and diversifying income sources.
The speakers indicated that the official orientation towards enabling universities to self-finance and invest has not been exploited as hoped, amid a scarcity of resources and procedural complexities and bureaucracy, which hindered the development of land owned by universities and its conversion into productive projects that generate revenue.
They confirmed that the next phase would focus on enhancing prudent governance, developing university investments, and attracting Arab and foreign students, contributing to improving budgets and gradually reducing indebtedness.
On his part, Hassan Al-Shibli, president of Tafila Technical University, revealed that the university’s debt amounts to about 33.5 million dinars, including 8.5 million dinars due to social security, noting that an agreement has been reached to pay 170,000 dinars monthly, including current subscriptions and partial repayment of arrears.
He added that the university is working on launching productive and investment projects to increase annual revenues, in parallel with plans to attract students from abroad, confirming that the university has 264 faculty members, the majority of whom are graduates of prestigious universities, and a large percentage of them are young, which enhances the quality of educational outputs and scientific research.
The presidents of the two universities concluded by emphasizing that reforming the financial management system, reviewing pricing policies, and enhancing partnerships with the government and the private sector, are fundamental pillars to ensure the sustainability of higher education and protect official universities as a pillar of national development and human capital building.
