Movements across the region

Overall movement across the ranking is mixed. Among the 297 institutions with comparable published rank changes, 81 move up (25%), 134 decline (42%) and 82 are unchanged (28%). The Top 10 remain highly concentrated, with eight institutions retaining their positions or moving by only one place.

At the other end of the table, some locations recorded more pronounced movement. Across all locations, the six Yemeni ranked institutions punch above their weight. While none of them drop in ranking position, one is new, one goes up and four remain in the same places.

Similarly, among locations with at least ten ranking entries, Moroccan institutions have the most positive performance balance: while only 8% go down, 25% are new, 33% stay the same and 33% climb up.

In absolute numbers, Egypt has the highest number of institutions moving up, with 16. Finally, Oman records the largest proportion of upward movement among locations with five or more ranked institutions — 64% of its institutions move up. Notably, four Omani institutions are also among the 16 biggest upward movements, defined as institutions moving up by more than 12 places in the table.

Among the 25 new entrants of this edition, six of them are already placed among the Top 5 across five different indicators. Another notable finding is that eight of the new entries had a Contributor status in the previous edition, demonstrating positive engagement and growth from institutions that have been recognised for their data submission participation despite not being ranked in the previous edition of the Arab region rankings.

Indicators overview

At the regional level, while International Research Network represents the region’s highest indicator with a mean score of 46.3, Employer Reputation represents the region’s lowest indicator at 25.4.

At the same time, 34% of previously ranked institutions improved on Employer Reputation, while 71% of ranked institutions decreased on International Student Ratio.

These broader results suggest that Arab region institutions represented in this table are strongly engaged in cross-border networks for academic and scientific collaboration, while recognition among employers remains a relative weakness, despite signs of improvement.

Additionally, most institutions face challenges in attracting foreign students, pointing to a regional landscape with strong research connectivity but areas for further development in employer engagement and international student recruitment.

Cross-indicator evidence also shows that high-performing institutions typically combine reputation and employability with selected research or international strengths. Conversely, many lower-ranked institutions post isolated high scores — particularly in Faculty Student Ratio, Staff with PhD or International Research Network — without sufficiently broad performance to overcome weak reputation measures.

Leading regional institutions

KFUPM retains its first place for the fourth edition in a row, while Khalifa University overtakes Qatar University for second place.

Abu Dhabi University breaks into the Top 10 for the first time, ranking eighth, while King Faisal University and Lebanese American University both break into the Top 20.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has the highest rank in three indicators: Faculty-Student Ratio, Papers Per Faculty and Staff with PhD.

Ibn Tofail University is the biggest climber, moving up 47 places to rank 91, and Amity University Dubai has the highest debut, at 151-160.

Finally, the main regional outlook from the 2027 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Arab Region is that while regional leadership among the Top 20 remains mostly stable, competition is intensifying around the Top 50 and Top 100 tiers.

Al-Quds University, Al-Azhar University and American University of Ras Al Khaimah all rise from the Top 100 into the Top 50. Furthermore, within the 51-100 range, Ibn Tofail University's 47-place climb is joined by the Islamic University of Madinah, which moves into the Top 100 from its previous position in the Top 250.

The result is a regional ranking in which the leading institutions remain relatively unchanged, but the wider field is becoming more differentiated. Changes in reputation, research, employability and international engagement are creating greater separation between institutions — and producing more movement beneath the region's established leaders.