The 14 best universities in the Arab world
14. University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad, Morocco — Morocco's top university is based in the ancient city of Marrakech, probably better known for its souks than its education system. However, Cadi Ayyad scored highly for its international outlook, and the incomes its students get.
13. University of Jordan, Jordan — Jordan is one of the most politically stable nations in the Gulf region, and that is reflected in the standard of its higher education. The University of Jordan is one of two in the country to make the top 14.
12. Cairo University, Egypt — Understandably given its location just a 25-minute drive from the pyramids, Cairo's top university is exceptionally good when it comes to the study of ancient Egypt. It scored highly with THE for its international outlook and the incomes of its graduates.
11. Alexandria University, Egypt — Situated in the city named for one of the greatest military leaders of all time, Alexander the Great, the University of Alexandria boasts a Nobel Prize Ahmed Zewail, who won a Chemistry prize in 1999.
10. Suez Canal University, Egypt — Suez Canal University ranks as the best in Egypt, according to Times Higher Education, scoring highly for its international outlook, and its teaching. A weak research score prevented it ranking higher on the list.
9. Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan — As well as having a beautiful campus, JUST is the best university in Jordan, according to THE. The school scored 62.2 points for its international focus.
8. American University of Sharjah, UAE — Founded in the mid-1990s, the American University of Sharjah boasts several ministers of the UAE as alumni. Being an American university at its heart, the school has an incredibly high international outlook score of 95.6 out of 100.
7. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman — Despite being the only university in Oman, Sultan Qaboos is easily one of the best in the whole of Middle East. The school is named after the country's serving Sultan.
6. Qatar University, Qatar — Another university that is the only public institution in the country, Qatar University is home to seven colleges, including a highly respected College of Pharmacy. It has more than 16,000 students.
5. United Arab Emirates University, UAE — The UAE's top school is found in the town of Al Ain, around 100 miles from Abu Dhabi. The university is crucial in educating virtually all of the country's top politicians and businessmen. Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former boss of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and one time 27th most powerful man on earth, is an alumnus.
4. King Saud University, Saudi Arabia — The first of three Saudi universities in the top four of the Arab world, King Saud is based in the capital Riyadh and was simply called Riyadh University until 1982. It scores highly for both its international outlook and industry incomes.
3. King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia — Unsurprisingly given its name, King Fahd University specialises in degree subjects based around Saudi Arabia's dominant oil industry. It is located in the city of Dharhan, a crucial administrative centre for the industry.
2. American University of Beirut, Lebanon — The highest ranked university outside Saudi Arabia is housed in Beirut, where students at the American University get a superior education. Famous alumni include the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani.
1. King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia — Officially the best college in the Arabic-speaking world, King Abdulaziz University was first founded in 1967 in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's second biggest. The university's most famous alumnus is the notorious terrorist leader and founder of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. Recent visitors to the university include Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
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