Arab Open University

Arab Open University is a well-known regional, non-profit private education system based in the Arab world with an exceptionally lively campus in Beirut, Lebanon. Being based in Kuwait, AOU follows the system of open learning and blended learning which involves the combination of traditional lectures with the latest technology. The idea of AOU was put forward in 1996 by the late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who imagined a non-conventional education project that should have impacted the social, cultural, and scientific development in the Arab countries. This idea resulted in the legal establishment of AOU in December, 2000 with the help of the Open University of London which represented its first partner. AOU started the first classes in October, 2002 and decided to have branches in Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon.

The Arab Open University fulfills the role of an important driving force in progressing human development and education equity within the Middle East and North Africa. Its dual local and international validation systems provide the needed guidelines for accomplishing high quality academic results according to current global standards. The university through specific initiatives like entrepreneurship centers and its continuous engagement in working with communities assists people who are part of marginalized groups, working people, and the youth through its wide network of branches. Henceforth, the university is committed to its mission with its adaptive, IT-based educational delivery systems that ensure sustainability in socio-economic development and innovation within the region.