10 Arab Universities Making Their Mark in Global Rankings
In a region undergoing rapid educational transformation, several Arab universities have established themselves as global contenders in international university rankings. Despite funding constraints and other challenges, these institutions have demonstrated progress in research output, academic reputation, and educational quality.
Al-Fanar Media looked at how some leading Arab universities have fared in multiple ranking systems, including the QS World University Rankings and other rankings published by QS Quacquarelli Symonds; Webometrics, which ranks universities on measures of research impact and online visibility; the SCImago Institutions Rankings, which focus on research and innovation; the Academic Ranking of World Universities, compiled by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy and popularly known as the Shanghai ranking; and the Arab Ranking for Universities, which published its second edition ranking 180 institutions last year.
Based on information from those sources, here are ten Arab universities that are making their mark on the global stage.
King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabia
King Abdulaziz University consistently emerges as one of the Arab world’s leading institutions across multiple rankings. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, KAU ranked 149th globally, placing it among the region’s three highest-ranked Arab universities.
The university showed particular strength in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, placing in the top 100 globally in four of the report’s five broad subject categories: engineering and technology (71st), social sciences and management (79th), life sciences and medicine (83rd), and natural sciences (84th).
In individual subjects, KAU placed 15th globally in pharmacy and pharmacology, 24th in mathematics, 70th in computer science and information systems, 76th in agriculture and forestry, and 98th in electrical and electronic engineering. Its medical school, in 148th place globally, was the second-highest ranked in the Arab region.
The 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai ranking) ranked its textile science and engineering programme among the world’s top 10, in ninth place. Its mathematics programme was also highly ranked, in 39th place.
In the QS Arab Region University Rankings, King Abdulaziz University was in seventh place in 2025 and has consistently been a top-10 finisher, with particularly strong scores for research citations and academic reputation.
In the SCImago Institutions Rankings for 2025, King Abdulaziz University was the third-highest-ranked Arab university, placing 255th globally out of 5,051 universities ranked. In the Webometrics Ranking, KAU placed 370th globally in 2024.
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals has distinguished itself as a global and regional leader, particularly in specialised engineering disciplines.
In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, KFUPM was the highest placed Arab institution, ranking 101st globally. In the QS Arab Region University Rankings, it has claimed first place for two years in a row, after finishing third in 2023.
KFUPM’s true strengths are evident in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, where it ranked 40th worldwide in the broad category of engineering and technology, fifth in petroleum engineering, seventh in mineral and mining engineering, and 75th in electrical and electronic engineering.
Its best ranked subject in the 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai ranking) was civil engineering, placing in the world’s top 51–75 programmes.
The SCImago Institutions Rankings for 2025 ranked KFUPM first in the Arab world and 149th globally in the field of earth and planetary sciences.
Qatar University
Qatar University has rapidly ascended in international rankings in recent years. It jumped to 122nd place globally in the QS World University Rankings for 2025, after placing 173rd in 2024 and 208th the previous year.
The QS Arab Region University Rankings for 2025 ranked Qatar University as the second-best university in the region, a position it first reached in 2023. In 2024, it was ranked third in the region. The institution demonstrates particular strength in research collaboration and international impact.
In the 2025 QS Sustainability Rankings, Qatar University ranked 291st globally and third in the Arab region, highlighting its commitment to sustainable development.
American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
Despite Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis, the American University of Beirut maintains its position as one of the region’s premier educational institutions. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, AUB placed 250th globally, with strong scores in the metrics for employment outcomes and sustainability. It ranked sixth in the QS Arab Region University Rankings for 2025.
AUB particularly stands out in the QS Sustainability Rankings, where it has been the top-ranked Arab institution for two years in a row, placing 205th in 2025.
The university excels in specific disciplines, such as medicine, with its medical school placing 132nd globally out of 848 institutions ranked in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, the highest finish in the Arab region. Its politics programme was in a group ranked 101–150 out of 401 institutions ranked.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
As a graduate research-focused institution, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has quickly established itself among the global elite in several scientific fields since its foundation in 2009.
KAUST’s strongest performance is in specialised scientific disciplines. The 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai ranking) ranked five of its programmes in the world’s top 50: nanoscience and nanotechnology (in 30th place), telecommunication engineering (34th), energy science and engineering (38th), chemical engineering (41st), and materials science and engineering (44th). In several other subjects—chemistry, earth sciences, and electrical and electronic engineering—KAUST’s programmes were ranked among the world’s top 51–75.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, KAUST was among the world’s top 100 institutions in two of the five broad subject categories: natural sciences (76th) and engineering and technology (90th). In several individual subjects, it was also in the world’s top 100: petroleum engineering (18th place), materials sciences (41st), chemical engineering (79th), and electrical and electronic engineering (81st).
The university has demonstrated particular strength in research output and quality. In the SCImago Institutions Rankings for 2025, KAUST was the second-highest-ranked Arab university, placing 229th globally out of 5,051 universities ranked. In the 2024 Webometrics Ranking, it placed 383rd globally.
Cairo University, Egypt
As Egypt’s flagship public institution, Cairo University has maintained its position as a regional leader while gaining global recognition. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, it was the highest-ranked institution in Africa, in 350th place globally. That reflected steady progress from its 371st-place finish in 2024, and its 551–560 ranking the year before.
The university ranked 21st in the QS Arab Region University Rankings for 2025, and also showed strengths in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with its petroleum engineering programme in 38th place globally. Cairo University was the highest-placed Arab institution in the broad category of arts and humanities, ranking 200th globally, and its medical school, in 180th place globally, was among the top five in the Arab region.
In the Arab Ranking for Universities, Cairo University has held the second position for two years in a row, demonstrating its regional influence.
In the Webometrics Ranking, it placed 502nd globally in 2024.
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
The United Arab Emirates University has established itself as one of the region’s top institutions. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, it placed 261st globally, with strong scores in the global engagement category, while in the QS Arab Region University Rankings for 2025, it ranked fifth.
In the 2025 QS Sustainability Rankings, UAEU ranked 343rd globally and fifth in the Arab region.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, UAEU was ranked among the top 300 universities globally in 16 specialised subjects, demonstrating strengths across multiple disciplines. Its petroleum engineering programme is consistently ranked in the world’s top 100. The university has also been recognized for its diverse international faculty and student body.
Water resources was its highest ranked subject in the 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai ranking). In the Webometrics Ranking, it placed 806th globally in 2024.
Khalifa University of Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates
Khalifa University has rapidly ascended in global rankings since its establishment in its current form in 2017, following a merger of three institutions. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, it placed 202nd globally, not far off its best finish, in 181st place in 2023.
In the QS Arab Region University Rankings for 2025, the university rose to fourth place with strong scores on the metrics for papers per faculty, citations per paper, and academic reputation.
By subject, the university is particularly strong in the engineering disciplines. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, its petroleum engineering programme was ranked seventh globally, maintaining its position in the world’s top 10 for three consecutive years. Its electrical engineering programme was ranked 102nd globally, while its mathematics programme was ranked 127th.
Electrical and electronic engineering was also one of its strongest subjects in the 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai ranking), finishing in the 101–150 group globally, along with telecommunications engineering and chemical engineering.
In the 2025 QS Sustainability Rankings, Khalifa University ranked 351st globally and sixth in the Arab region. The university was recognized as the regional leader on the “health and well-being” indicator, which assesses relevant research and quality of life for students and staff, placing 201st globally on this metric, according to QS Rankings on Sustainability for 2024.
King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
King Saud University has demonstrated consistent performance across multiple ranking systems. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, it placed 200th globally, while in the Arab Ranking for Universities, it secured the top position in both the inaugural edition in 2023 and again last year.
King Saud University has achieved notable success in specific disciplines, with its petroleum engineering programme ranked 33rd globally in the QS Rankings by Subject for 2025. The university also placed in the top 100 in several other subjects, including dentistry (48th), pharmacy and pharmacology (48th), mathematics (78th), agriculture and forestry (84th), and computer science and information systems (99th). Its medical school, in 165th place globally, was among the top five in the Arab region.
King Saud was the highest ranked Arab university in the SCImago Institutions Rankings for 2025, placing 124th globally out of 5,051 universities ranked.
It also led all Arab institutions in the 2024 Webometrics Ranking, placing 290th globally.
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman’s flagship public university, has established itself among the top institutions in the Arab world. In the QS World University Rankings for 2025, the university placed 362nd globally, while in the QS Arab Region Rankings for 2023, it secured the 8th position.
Sultan Qaboos University has shown particular strength in the QS Sustainability Rankings, where it ranked 322nd globally in 2025 and fourth in the Arab region. The university’s petroleum engineering programme ranked 25th globally in the QS Rankings by Subject for 2025, making it the university’s highest-ranked subject. Its nursing education programme was in 32nd place globally.
In the 2024 Webometrics Ranking, Sultan Qaboos University placed 1,046th globally in 2024.
Looking Ahead
As Arab universities continue to invest in research, international collaboration, and educational quality, their presence in global rankings is likely to strengthen further. Saudi institutions currently dominate, benefiting from substantial government investment aligned with the kingdom’s Vision 2030 development plan, while universities in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, and Oman have also demonstrated impressive progress.
The challenge for these institutions moving forward will be to maintain momentum while addressing regional challenges such as political instability, brain drain, and funding sustainability.