Hamad Bin Khalifa University Secures Top Spot in Arab World and 126th Globally in Latest Rankings

Just 16 years after its founding, the homegrown Qatar Foundation university has become the only Arab institution among the world’s top 150.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has placed 126th in the newly released Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, making it the Arab world’s highest-ranked university. In the ranking, HBKU is also the only university from the Arab world to enter the global top 150.

The 2027 edition of the Times Higher Education ranking evaluated 2,297 research-intensive universities from 118 countries and territories. Institutions were assessed across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.

Named after the late Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the university was established to develop homegrown intellectual capacity while maintaining an international outlook. HBKU’s placement reflects the rapid growth of an institution founded in 2010 as part of Qatar Foundation’s education and research ecosystem.

Its unique model brings together academic programmes, research, public policy and strategic partnerships, connecting academia with government and industry. The university has also expanded its academic community and introduced programmes aligned with Qatar’s national priorities and emerging social and economic needs.

HBKU President Ahmad M. Hasnah attributed the result to the university’s faculty, researchers, students and staff, as well as the wider environment provided by Qatar Foundation. “Our mission has never been solely about benchmarks, but about driving purposeful innovation and nurturing homegrown intellectual capacity,” Hasnah said.

He added that the university’s work is intended to serve Qatar’s priorities while contributing to the global knowledge economy, arguing that a multidisciplinary institution rooted in the Arab region can produce research with international relevance. The ranking places a homegrown Qatari university alongside established international institutions less than two decades after its creation, while strengthening Qatar’s position as a regional centre for higher education and advanced research.