In a recent comprehensive study focusing on university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, researchers have unveiled compelling insights into the intertwined roles of cultural intelligence and digital citizenship skills. This investigation, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2025), delves deeply into the extent to which these contemporary competencies manifest and the dynamic relationship that exists between them, offering critical implications for higher education and digital engagement in an increasingly globalized world.
The study employs robust statistical methods, notably the one-sample t-test, to rigorously assess the cultural intelligence levels among Saudi university students. Results reveal a strikingly high proficiency across all measured dimensions: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral cultural intelligence. Students displayed a sophisticated awareness of cross-cultural interactions, underpinned by strong mental frameworks that support adaptive and informed engagement with diverse cultural contexts. This high level of cultural intelligence aligns with findings from recent international studies, although it diverges from earlier research that suggested more moderate or even low levels in specific cultural dimensions.
Such elevated cultural intelligence is attributed to the unique environment fostered within Saudi universities. These institutions emphasize multicultural interactions, promoting openness and trust amongst students from various backgrounds. This environment nurtures essential skills such as cultural judgment, decision-making, and adaptive behavior, framing cultural intelligence not merely as theoretical knowledge but as practical competencies that enhance everyday social and academic experiences.
Further granular analysis of each dimension elucidates the nature of this intelligence. Metacognitive cultural intelligence reflects an individual’s active monitoring and strategic thinking during intercultural exchanges, facilitating more accurate cultural interpretations and responses. Cognitive cultural intelligence signifies the acquisition of factual knowledge about cultural norms, values, and nonverbal codes through education and lived experience, equipping students to navigate complex cultural landscapes adeptly. The motivational dimension underscores the intrinsic and extrinsic drive to engage with different cultures, fostering curiosity and resilience. Finally, behavioral cultural intelligence demonstrates students’ capability to modify communication and conduct appropriately according to cultural contexts, highlighting adaptability as a cornerstone of effective intercultural competence.
Parallel to this, the study investigates digital citizenship—a compound set of skills that enable individuals to responsibly and effectively navigate digital technologies and environments. Using a similar statistical framework, the findings underscore a notably high level of digital citizenship among the cohort. Students excel in diverse facets ranging from digital communication and commerce to digital security and etiquette, suggesting a holistic competence that spans technological proficiency and ethical awareness.
This digital adeptness is deeply embedded in the Saudi educational framework, which integrates technology-rich learning environments with a strong emphasis on citizenship values. These findings resonate with global research that highlights the confluence of access, literacy, responsibility, and security knowledge as prerequisites for competent digital citizens. Importantly, students exhibit an acute understanding of digital rights and responsibilities, an appreciation for health and wellness in technology usage, and a conscientious approach to laws governing digital platforms, showcasing digital citizenship as a multifaceted construct integral to modern academic and social participation.
The researchers explicate how these digital competencies empower students to engage in safe online practices, critically evaluate information, and partake in digital commerce with informed caution. Additionally, high digital citizenship facilitates respectful and ethical online interactions, encouraging behaviors that mitigate cyber risks while fostering constructive virtual communities. This holistic perspective reinforces the notion that technological proficiency alone is insufficient without a parallel cultivation of ethical and social digital fluency.
One of the study’s most groundbreaking revelations lies in the statistically significant correlations identified between cultural intelligence and digital citizenship. This linkage suggests that as students enhance their understanding and adaptability across cultures, their digital competencies reciprocally strengthen. Culture profoundly influences technological use behaviors, serving as a lens through which digital interactions are navigated and mediated. Consequently, cultural intelligence equips learners with the cognitive and behavioral tools needed to responsibly engage in digital spaces marked by cultural multiplicity and complexity.
This integration has far-reaching implications. Digital platforms function as arenas for multicultural exchange, knowledge sharing, and community building. Digital citizens who are culturally intelligent are better poised to foster inclusive, respectful, and empathetic online environments, effectively bridging cultural divides. By developing culturally responsive digital literacy, these students transform digital citizenship from a mere technical skill set into a broader social and cultural capability essential for global digital interaction.
The study situates these findings within the larger framework of 21st-century educational imperatives, where lifelong learning, multiculturalism, and digital connectivity converge. In such contexts, cultural intelligence becomes indispensable in interpreting and negotiating the nuanced digital landscapes that students confront daily. It facilitates sophisticated cross-cultural communications, critical thinking, and problem-solving—skills vital for thriving in the interconnected digital era.
Moreover, the research highlights specific mechanisms through which cultural intelligence enhances digital citizenship. For instance, metacognitive cultural intelligence aligns with strategic digital behavior and ethical decision-making online. Cognitive cultural intelligence supports knowledge acquisition related to digital norms and regulations. Motivational cultural intelligence fuels proactive engagement in digital communities, while behavioral cultural intelligence underpins adaptable and appropriate online conduct.
This symbiotic relationship not only improves individual capacities but also undergirds the establishment of online cultures grounded in mutual respect, ethical interaction, and cooperative learning. The nuances of digital etiquette, rights, and responsibilities echo fundamental cultural practices, underscoring digital citizenship as a vital form of contemporary cultural competence.
The findings emphasize the critical role of educational institutions in fostering these intersecting literacies. Universities act as crucibles for cultural exposure and digital integration, offering platforms to develop competencies that transcend purely academic achievements. Embedding cultural intelligence alongside digital citizenship education ensures that graduates are equipped to navigate complex societal challenges marked by cultural diversity and digital transformation.
This research underscores a pressing call to action: educational policies and curricula worldwide must prioritize the development of integrated cultural and digital literacies. As digital technologies continue to mold social, economic, and political spheres, the ability to operate ethically and effectively across cultural and digital domains constitutes a fundamental pillar of future-ready citizenship.
In conclusion, the study from Saudi Arabia provides compelling evidence that high cultural intelligence and digital citizenship skills coexist and mutually reinforce one another among university students. This nexus empowers learners to become agile, responsible global citizens capable of thriving in diverse cultural and technological landscapes. As we advance further into the digital age, fostering this dual competency will be indispensable for nurturing inclusive digital societies and sustaining cross-cultural understanding on a global scale.
Subject of Research: Cultural intelligence and its relationship to digital citizenship skills among university students in Saudi Arabia
Article Title: Cultural intelligence and its relationship to digital citizenship skills among university students
Article References:
Al-Otaibi, N. Cultural intelligence and its relationship to digital citizenship skills among university students. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1816 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06096-w
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