American University of Beirut is the Best University in the Arab Region

American University of Beirut is the Best University in the Arab Region

Craig OCallaghan

Updated January 16, 2020 Updated January 16

This year’s QS Arab Region University Rankings have been released, and the American University of Beirut has been named the best university in the Arab region.

The Lebanese institution has climbed one place since last year’s ranking, which means King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals has been dethroned for the first time ever since the ranking was first piloted in 2014.

Saudi Arabia can still proudly claim to be one of the best destinations for higher education in the Arab world though, with three universities in the top four beneath the American University of Beirut. It’s also the most-represented nation in the rankings, with 21 Saudi Arabian universities in the top 100.

The next countries to feature the most are Egypt and Jordan, although these countries can both manage only one university each in the top 10. This year’s top 10 is largely unchanged since last year, with only Sultan Qaboos University, based in Oman, breaking into the top 10 (it was 11th last year).

Now featuring nearly 150 universities, this year’s rankings were compiled by assessing universities on eight different indicators, including the number of academic papers published per faculty member and their online presence. More information about the methodology can be found here.

The top 10 of the region can be found below, or click here to see this year’s table in full.

QS Arab Region University Rankings – Top 10

Rank

Last year

University

Country

1

2

American University of Beirut (AUB)

Lebanon

2

1

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)

Saudi Arabia

3

3

King Saud University (KSU)

Saudi Arabia

4

4

King Abdul Aziz University (KAU)

Saudi Arabia

5

6

United Arab Emirates University

United Arab Emirates

6

5

American University in Cairo

Egypt

7

9

Qatar University

Qatar

8

7

American University of Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

9

8

University of Jordan

Jordan

10

11

Sultan Qaboos University

Oman

 

This article was originally published in October 2017 . It was last updated in January 2020

Written by

As editor of TopUniversities.com, Craig oversees the site's editorial content and network of student contributors. He also plays a key editorial role in the publication of several guides and reports, including the QS Top Grad School Guide.

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