Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE reinforced its standing as a global higher education hub, with eight of the country's universities climbing the QS World University Rankings 2027 and posting strong scores for international engagement.
Khalifa University emerged as the country's highest-ranked institution, surging 30 places to 147th and becoming the first UAE university to break into the top 150.
The Abu Dhabi-based university posted an overall score of 62 and recorded particularly strong results in research impact, scoring 92.5 for citations per faculty.
The university also performed strongly on internationalisation indicators, with a perfect score of 100 for international faculty ratio, 89.3 for international student ratio, and 83.3 for international research network. Meanwhile, its sustainability score stood at 70.9.
Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, said this outcome reflected "a deliberate choice" to move the university's discoveries from its laboratories to scientists, industries and institutions worldwide.
"From Abu Dhabi to the global scientific community, Khalifa University is, by design, a catalyst for economic development," Al Hajri said. "Today's ranking affirms our position as one of the region's leading engines of research and innovation, making a sustained contribution to the UAE's long-term strategic ambitions."
Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates University rose 12 places to 217th globally, while the American University of Sharjah advanced to 258th from 272nd.
University of Sharjah registered one of the largest gains among UAE institutions, climbing 45 places to 283rd, while Abu Dhabi University moved up 43 places to 348th.
Professor Ghassan Aouad, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, said the result validated the university's approach to "future-focused education and fostering innovation", with strong scores in academic reputation, research impact, and graduate employability. "We remain committed to advancing knowledge, empowering future leaders, and contributing to the UAE's vision of a knowledge-based economy," he said.
Other Top Universities
Ajman University also improved its position, rising to 397th from 440th in the previous edition.
Further down the rankings, Al Ain University was placed 559th, ahead of Zayed University at 588th.
American University of Ras Al Khaimah ranked 608th, followed by Canadian University Dubai at 616th and American University in Dubai at 620th. University of Dubai rose from the 851-900 bracket to 781-790.
Global Engagement a Standout Strength
The QS rankings assess universities across five areas: Research and discovery accounts for half of the overall score, followed by employability and outcomes at 20%, global engagement at 15%, learning experience at 10%, and sustainability at 5%.
A common theme across UAE institutions was their strong performance in global engagement metrics, reflecting the country's international student population and ability to attract academic talent from around the world.
Eight institutions achieved a perfect or near-perfect 100 on International Student Ratio, including American University of Sharjah, University of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi University, Ajman University, Al Ain University, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Canadian University Dubai, and American University in Dubai.
Moreover, all ranked UAE universities scored 100 on International Faculty Ratio.
