Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has secured the 8th position among Arab universities in the QS University Rankings 2026. This achievement was announced during the closing ceremony of the QS Arab Forum 2025, which was hosted by SQU for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman.
According to Oman News Agency, the event gathered higher education experts, heads and vice-chancellors of Arab universities, academics, researchers, and decision-makers in the field of higher education. This year’s QS rankings included 298 Arab universities, with 82 new institutions joining the list, in addition to 11 Omani academic institutions, four of which were newly registered.
The QS Arab Forum primarily focused on presenting the outcomes of the QS Arab Rankings 2026. The forum also addressed the best practices and challenges facing the higher education sector in the region through panel discussions and specialized workshops.
Key themes discussed at the forum included academic innovation, educational quality, international partnerships, scholarly research, and academic reputation. Participants also explored emerging trends such as hybrid learning and the integration of technology in higher education.
The conference offered participants an opportunity to exchange experiences with their counterparts from various academic institutions, explore mechanisms for developing academic and administrative performance, and build new partnerships aiming to enhance the global standing of Arab universities.