The annual Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Arab Region University Rankings for 2020, released on 31 October 2019.   QS held a celebratory evening reception in Dubai, United Arab Emirates attended by H.E. Dr. Khalid Al Garadi, Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman in the UAE, as well as, the UAE’s Cabinet Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, Dr Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al Falasi, Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation, Dr Mohamed Yousif Baniyas at the Ministry of Education and several Arab region ambassadors and cultural attachés.

The University of Nizwa is ranked number 2 among universities/colleges in Oman and number 71 in the Arab region.  This ranking places the University of Nizwa as the first private university in the Sultanate.   Mr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director for MENA and South East Asia at QS stated in a press release, “This addition features 130 universities, across 16 countries from the Arab region.  Statistics show that there are approximately 1200 universities across the region, so this ranking features the elite top 10% of such universities and institutions of higher learning”.

The Arab Regional Rankings offer various stakeholders, governments and academic higher education institutions with an understanding into university performance in ways that inform decision-making.  QS utilize a methodology  comprising of ten indicators and weightings to compile the Arab ranking (https://www.topuniversities.com/arab-region-rankings/methodology).