If a few years ago, Arab countries were struggling to ensure access to education and establish a reliable education system, the situation is very different today. Many countries in the Middle East have indeed made remarkable progress in the right direction. Some even have implement reforms to improve the quality of education in their country.
According to the report of the World Bank, Jordan and Kuwait are ranked as most “education reformers” countries. And they are fighting for the first place in terms of quality of learning and education in general among the Arab countries. It seems that efforts to give students all the ingredients for success education are paying off. They are followed in the ranking by Egypt and Iran.
Conflict, obstacles to a successful education
War and conflicts impact on education are especially seen in the stalled countries. This is the case of Lebanon, which today is trying somehow to give more importance to education. What about Yemen, Morocco and Iraq? They are in the latest rankings of the World Bank in terms of education. Years of conflict seem to prevent them from setting up genuine and efficient educational projects.
In short, the situation of education in the Arab world has its ups and downs depending on the situation of each country. The creation of the Foundation Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the largest foundation for education in the Arab world is nevertheless a good sign. This involves the development of education and Arab youth empowerment in learning through research, analyzing situations, sharing implementation and struggling against deficits encountered in the Arab world.
Most known universities in the Arab world
The Arab world has dozens of universities, distributed in various countries. Several rating programs rank the best higher education institutions in the Arab world. According to the “Times Higher Education” (THE) Times ranking based on education indicators, quotes impact, research, internationalization rate, industry funding and its results, golden palm goes to the Gulf science campus.
The King Abdulaziz University
This university is a public institution of higher education located in the city of Jeddah. Opened in 1967, it hosts about 70,000 students per year. It offers academic courses in fields such as education, business administration, science, human science and education. It also offers high learning courses in medicine, dentistry and meteorology. The King Abdulaziz University is in the top of the list, followed by the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals and King Saud University as the 3rd and 4th in the ranking.
The American University of Beirut
It is located in Beirut, Lebanon. The university promotes thought and expression freedom and promotes tolerance and respect for diversity and dialogue. It offers numerous faculties: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering and Architecture, Health Sciences, Medicine and Communication.
Arab Emirates Kingdom University
It is the oldest university in the Arab Emirates Kingdom, founded in 1976 by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It offers high learning courses in Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Science, Information Technology and Social Sciences. It is the 5th largest in the THE ranking.
The University of Qatar
Established in 1973, Qatar University offers masters in several areas. This is business administration and environmental studies. A wide variety of disciplines including arts, engineering and business is offered to students as part of Education City, a program established by the Qatar Foundation. It hosts about 2,500 Qatari and international students.
Jordan University of Science and Technology
It is one of the largest educational and research centers in Jordan and throughout the Middle East. It provides training for medical professions, engineering, architecture, agriculture, science, computer science and information technology. Modern and enjoying all the facilities and resources, it offers academic programs and a quality environment for studies.