Universities from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been ranked the best in the Arab world in a new global higher education league table.
Seven institutions across the region made the top 250 of the QS World University Rankings 2025, with three from Saudi Arabia and two from Qatar making up the top five in the Middle East.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals led the way in 101st position – up from 180th last year – out of 1,500 universities worldwide.
Qatar University is the second highest-ranked university in the Arab world, rising more than 50 places from 173rd to 122nd in the list.
King Abdulaziz University, in Saudi Arabia, was ranked 149th, down from 143rd last year.
Qatar's Hamad bin Khalifa University climbed more than 100 places, from 310th to 183rd.
King Saud University, in Saudi Arabia, was ranked 200th.
Khalifa University of Science and Technology was the top performer in the UAE, ranking sixth in the region and 202nd overall, up from 230th in the 2024 rankings, released on Tuesday.
“Our programmes are specifically designed with an eye on the employability of our graduates,” Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, recently told The National.
“In addition, we are also actively engaged in research innovation, working closely with industry partners to ensure that impactful research is taken all the way through commercialisation.
“We focus on not only improving our rankings every year but fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and attracting world class expertise and talent creation.”
United Arab Emirates University improved its position from 290 last year to 261 this year.
American University of Sharjah improved from 364th spot last year to 332nd.
University of Sharjah rose from 465th to 434 year-on-year.
How have universities in the region performed?
The Arab region has 82 universities in the latest rankings, with 43 climbing the league table this year.
Universities were judged on academic reputation, employer’s reputation, faculty staff ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, international students ratio, sustainability score, employment outcomes’ score and an international research network score.
In the Arab world, Saudi Arabia is the dominant higher education system with 20 ranked universities, four of which are new entries, and have 85 per cent of their universities in the top 1,000.
UAE’s twelve ranked universities all featured in the top 1,000 and improved their overall performance by 75 per cent, with a slight decline in some cases.
Saudi Arabia exceeds the global average in two performance indicators, for faculty staff ratio and international faculty ratio.
Qatar's two ranked universities exceeded the global average in all nine indicators measured.
Which countries have the best universities?
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology cemented its position as the world's best university for a 13th consecutive year.
Imperial College London was second, up from sixth last year.
The University of Oxford and Harvard University placed third and fourth respectively, while The University of Cambridge made up the top five.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was the only university to break into the world’s top 10 in this edition. The university jumped from 15th to 10th.
Switzerland and Singapore are the only countries besides the UK and the US to feature in the top 10, with ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and National University of Singapore (NUS) placing seventh and eighth respectively.
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Winner: Tair, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
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Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner: Son Of Normandy, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
Plastic tipping points
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
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Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
