Arab University Rankings 2026: out now

• While methodology re-alignment brings change to THE Arab University Rankings 2026, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia is number one for third consecutive year 

• Saudi Arabia takes four top-10 spots 

• Qatar University rejoins the top three 

• United Arab Emirates has four top-10 universities 

• Lebanese American University joins top 10 for the first time 

• Egypt and Jordan drop out of top 10 

• Yemen and Comoros join the ranking for the first time 

• 37 newly ranked universities 

• Iraq is most represented country with 57 ranked universities 

• A record 268 universities ranked, up from 238 

• Universities from 18 countries/territories ranked, up from 16 

• Change in methodology uses data directly from THE World University Rankings to compile the 2026 edition of Arab University Rankings 

Top 10 universities overall in the THE Arab University Rankings 2026 

If you reproduce any part of these ranking tables or charts, please attribute it to “Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings 2026”, and link to the full list on our website, 

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) tops the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings 2026 for the third consecutive year. It’s followed by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, also in Saudi Arabia, which retains second place. Qatar University moves up one spot to take third place – one of only two top-10 universities outside of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Lebanon joins the top 10 with Lebanese American University in ninth place up from 12th. 

Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) dominate the top 20 with nine Saudi institutions represented and seven from UAE. This is up from five Saudi and four UAE universities in last year’s top 20. UAE has four top-10 universities, up from two last year. Khalifa University is the leading UAE university, in fifth place, up from sixth. United Arab Emirates University also moves up one place to sixth, Abu Dhabi University jumps up to seventh place from 14th, and The British University in Dubai leaps forward to tenth position from band 61-70. 

The regionally focused Arab University Rankings shines a light on a broader spectrum of universities compared with the global THE World University Rankings.  

Increasing levels of participation from Arab countries is a continuing trend in the Arab University Rankings. Iraq has the highest number of ranked universities with 57, up from 45 last year. Egypt is the second most represented nation with 47 institutions ranked. Overall, there are 37 newly ranked universities in the table, and Yemen and Comoros join the ranking for the first time. 

Algeria is the third most represented country with 42 representatives, up from 37, and is led by three universities in the 151-175 band. Elsewhere in North Africa, representation remains fairly static with 13 universities ranked in Morocco, down from 14, and 11 in Tunisia, up from 10. Morocco and Tunisia show strength at the top of the table, however, with four top-100 universities in Morocco, led by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in 14th place, and two in Tunisia. 

Egypt has dropped out of the top 10 as Cairo University drops from eighth place to 45th, and has experienced some other slips at the top of the table. However, it has increased its representation in the top 100 with 20 universities, up from 19. 

Bahrain has three universities in the ranking, up from two last year, and two of its universities are in the top 50. 

The methodology behind the Arab University Rankings has this year been brought in line with THE’s flagship World University Rankings, using broadly the same comprehensive and trusted set of performance indicators. However, the weightings have been recalibrated to reflect the priorities of Arab institutions.  

This year’s release is named the Arab University Rankings 2026 because it uses data directly from the World University Rankings 2026 edition and is part of the same annual data cycle. Last year’s Arab rankings was named the 2024 edition because it used the previous methodology, but no years have been skipped since the inaugural Arab University Rankings in 2021. 

Phil Baty, THE’s chief global affairs officer, said: “While Saudi Arabia and the UAE dominate at the very top of the rankings, it is inspiring to see increasing diversity and strength in depth across the Arab region. More Arab universities than ever before are included in the rankings, from more nations – 18, up from 16 – reflecting a thriving, mixed economy of strong research universities right across the Arab world, spanning two continents.  

“There’s an exciting Arab world renaissance in research and innovation, and this data helps to demonstrate the powerful transformation of the whole region.” 

THE Arab University Rankings: top-ranked institutions and total number ranked by country/territory 

= joint  

If you reproduce any part of these ranking tables or charts, please attribute it to “Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings 2026”, and link to the full list on our website, 

Methodology 

The methodology behind the Arab University Rankings is based on the same comprehensive and trusted framework as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. 

The Arab University Rankings is calculated based on the same performance indicators as the World University Rankings, but the weightings are recalibrated to reflect the priorities of Arab institutions.  

The sixteen performance indicators are grouped into five pillars: Research quality; Teaching (the learning environment); Research environment; International outlook (staff, students, research); and Industry (knowledge transfer and impact). 

View the full methodology for the Arab University Rankings 2026.

Notes to editors    

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