The University Sleep Medicine and Research Center at the College of Medicine: Saudi Scientific and Research Leadership with Global Achievements
Report: Yusuf Al-Ahmari
The University Sleep Medicine and Research Center at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, is considered one of the world’s leading specialized centers in sleep medicine. It has achieved academic and research leadership that has made it a national and global model in developing sleep medicine services, producing scientific knowledge, and qualifying specialized medical personnel, under the supervision of its Director, Professor Dr. Ahmed bin Salem Bahammam, Professor of Pulmonary Diseases and Sleep Medicine at the College of Medicine. The Center was established in 2001 as an academic sleep medicine center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region, extending the sleep medicine service that began at King Khalid University Hospital in 1998. It was officially approved as a Research Excellence Center in 2009, a step that strengthened its standing in research, education, and training in this specialized field.
The Center has recorded notable scientific achievements at the international level; King Saud University ranked first globally in insomnia research among university students during the period from 2003 to 2022, thereby achieving second place worldwide in sleep research during the period from 2012 to 2021. According to the ScholarGPS® Institutional Rankings, the University ranked eighteenth globally over the past five years in sleep medicine research. In terms of research output, 32 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters were published in 2024, while the number increased to 47 scientific papers and chapters in 2025, in addition to the publication of globally and regionally recognized reference books specialized in sleep medicine. These covered topics including sleep disorders, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, and the impact of fasting and the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep, contributing to enriching the medical library locally and internationally.
The Director of the Center, Professor Dr. Ahmed Bahammam, also received advanced rankings according to the 2025 ScholarGPS classification, ranking among the top researchers globally in the field of sleep medicine, and among the highest-ranked researchers over the course of his scientific career. Over the past five years, he ranked fifth globally in the field of sleep and twelfth globally in pulmonary diseases. Across his overall research career, he ranked 91st worldwide among Highly Ranked Scholars in sleep medicine. He also recently received the Arab Physician of the Year Award 2025 (First Category: Scientific Research and Innovation) from the Council of Arab Health Ministers – League of Arab States, reflecting excellence in scientific research and innovation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the advancement of sleep medicine research and research infrastructure in Saudi universities. The Center’s international standing was further strengthened by his assumption of the presidency of the Asian Society of Sleep Medicine since January 2024 and his leadership of Asian scientific teams to develop fellowship training curricula, in addition to his participation in chairing education and examination committees of the World Sleep Society, reflecting global confidence in Saudi national competencies.
In the area of education and training, the Center launched the first academic fellowship program in sleep medicine at King Saud University in 2009. To date, 23 physicians have graduated from the program and are working in 19 cities inside and outside the Kingdom, in support of the program’s slogan, “A Saudi Sleep Physician for Every City,” in addition to the launch of the Saudi Fellowship in Sleep Medicine accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties in 2023.
The Center has received a number of regional and international honors, including recognition by the Kuwaiti Minister of Health and the Director of the University of Sharjah, as well as an honor from Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Talal in Jordan, in appreciation of its pioneering role in developing sleep medicine services and health research in the region.
The University Sleep Medicine and Research Center at the College of Medicine continues to fulfill its scientific and medical mission, affirming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the leading countries globally in the classification and development of the specialty of sleep medicine, and supporting the advancement of scientific research and specialized medical education in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030..
