January 5, 2026
AARU 2025 Results: A Regional Snapshot of Arab Higher Education Performance
Dr. Tanvir Hussein
QS Reveals 2025 Arab University Rankings
Dr. Tanvir Hussein
The highly anticipated QS World University Rankings: Arab Region 2025 has been released, highlighting the region’s top academic institutions. For the second consecutive year, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) has secured the top spot.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to dominate the rankings list, with three universities each making the top 10 list. Qatar, Lebanon, Oman, and Jordan also have strong representation among the region’s elite institutions.
Universities by Country
The 2025 rankings evaluated over 246 universities from the Arab World. Here is the distribution by country:
| Country | Universities | Country | Universities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 36 | Tunisia | 9 |
| Saudi Arabia | 34 | Libya | 7 |
| Iraq | 32 | Oman | 6 |
| Jordan | 24 | Yemen | 6 |
| Algeria | 17 | Bahrain | 5 |
| Lebanon | 15 | Kuwait | 3 |
| UAE | 14 | Syrian Arab Republic | 3 |
| Palestinian Territory | 12 | Qatar | 2 |
| Morocco | 10 | Djibouti | 1 |
| Sudan | 9 | Mauritania | 1 |
Ranking Indicators
The rankings are based on 10 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) carefully designed to reflect the priorities and preferences of today’s students from the Arab region:
Academic Reputation (30%)
Measures the perception of the university’s academic quality among academics worldwide.
Employer Reputation (20%)
Measures the perception of the university’s graduates among employers worldwide.
Faculty-Student Ratio (15%)
Measures the number of faculty members per student, reflecting teaching quality.
Int’l Research Network (10%)
Data provided by Scopus, measuring the breadth and quality of international research collaboration.
Web Impact (5%)
Measures the number of times a university’s website is visited, reflecting online visibility.
Staff with PhD (5%)
Faculty members holding PhD or equivalent qualifications, indicating academic expertise.
Citations per Paper (5%)
Measures the average number of times a university’s research papers are cited, based on Scopus data.
Papers per Faculty (5%)
Based on Scopus, reflecting the number of papers published per faculty member and research productivity.
Additional indicators include International Students (2.5%) and International Faculty (2.5%), measuring the diversity of the student body and faculty.
By focusing on these KPIs, the QS rankings provide a valuable insight into the overall quality and impact of universities in the Arab region.
QS Ranking Suite
The QS ranking agency is renowned for its comprehensive suite of university rankings, including: QS World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings by Subject, QS Sustainability Rankings, QS University Rankings by Region, QS Global MBA Rankings, QS Business Masters Rankings, QS International Trade Rankings, and QS Graduate Employability Rankings.
Global vs Regional Rankings
While the QS World University Rankings (QS-WUR) offer a global perspective, the QS World University Rankings by Region is specifically designed to evaluate universities within their region such as the Arab Region ranking. This regional focus allows for a more tailored assessment that considers the unique challenges and opportunities faced by institutions in the region. The notable key differences are:
- Regional Focus: The Arab Region rankings are tailored to the specific needs and priorities of universities in the Arab world.
- Indicator Selection: The indicators used are chosen to be more relevant to the specific context of the region, ensuring a more accurate assessment.
- Weightings: The importance assigned to each indicator may differ between the global and regional rankings, reflecting the unique priorities of the Arab region.
In conclusion, while both the global and regional rankings are published by QS, they serve distinct purposes and offer different insights into university performance. The global rankings provide a broader perspective, while the Arab Region rankings offer a more region-specific assessment, helping institutions understand their standing within the Arab region higher education system.
TH
Dr. Tanvir Hussein
Gulf University
Last Updated: 09 Apr 2026