Quality assurance (QA) studies have introduced different strategies and standards established to help higher education institutions (HEIs) meet their goals. However, in Saudi Arabia, insufficient data on the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) and its practices regarding establishing quality standards after the year 2008 are not presented in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to identify the standards that NCAAA relies on while establishing QA systems in Saudi HEIs and explore how universities interact with those standards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with NCAAA officials. The interview sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results indicated that NCAAA relies on (a) international standards and benchmarks, (b) national development goals, (c) technical development goals, and (d) stakeholders' needs. Based on the results, NCAAA officials are aware of the benefits of diversification and internationalization of QA. Also, NCAAA officials integrate international standards and benchmarks from different countries to develop QA systems. However, the officials highlighted the mismatch between NCAAA's standards and the criteria used for ranking HEIs internationally, which warrants additional research to address the mismatch. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]