Abstract: In the face of post-oil economic transformation, Saudi Arabia has positioned higher education reform at the heart of its national modernization strategy. This article analyzes the reform's strategic logic and implementation from three perspectives: underlying drivers, reform pathways, and structural challenges. The study finds that economic restructuring, demographic and employment pressures, and socio-cultural change are the primary forces propelling reform. By optimizing governance, expanding institutional autonomy, deepening international cooperation, and restructuring curricula, Saudi Arabia has advanced the modernization and internationalization of its higher education system, achieving notable progress in faculty internationalization, research output, and employment structure adjustment. Yet internal and external constraints continue to hinder deeper reform. Achieving an organic integration of tradition and modernity within the framework of educational modernization has therefore become a central challenge for Saudi higher education governance.

Key words: Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030, national transformation, higher education reform practices and challenges