The State of Qatar’s knowledge-based economy took another step forward today, when H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of Al Faisal Holding and Chairman of Al Rayyan International Education, announced the launch of Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) in partnership with University of Derby.

At the event held at the Rotana City Center Hotel, H.E. Sheikh Faisal stated: “Today, we are pleased to announce the official launch of Al Rayyan International University College, after a joint agreement was signed between Al Rayyan International Education and one of the well-established British universities- the University of Derby. We are in the process of building a distinguished university building equipped with the best facilities, and God willing, we will announce other similar partnerships with reputable educational institutions in the near future. This new development enriches the educational scene in our beloved country and in response to the desire of our wise leadership, to open more high-level educational opportunities for our dear children so that they can have an active role in the building of our nation.”

H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Faisal Al Thani, Vice Chairman of Al Faisal Holding and Vice Chairman of Aamal Company, stated “We would like to inform you of some important steps which Al Faisal Holding through Al Rayyan International Education is taking to further contribute to the State of Qatar’s ambition to develop a knowledge-based economy, which supports the main pillars of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 for human, social, economic, and environmental development. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani for his outstanding efforts in the advancement of Qatar’s education sector.”

And H.E. Sheikh Mohammed added “The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar has approved the establishment of Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU). As an initial step ARIU is entering into a partnership with the University of Derby, which is regarded as one of the best UK universities for programmes in business and management. ARIU will deliver high-quality UK accredited and internationally accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the fields of international business, international tourism management, and international hospitality management. In the near future, we are planning to expand the academic portfolio of the university by adding new programmes from the University of Derby and from other well-established and well-regarded academic institutions. Through such partnerships, ARIU looks forward to further contributing to the development of the higher education landscape in the State of Qatar”.

Representing the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Mr. Saeed Al-Sayed, Acting Director of Higher Education Institutions and Affairs Department, explained that “One of the priorities of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as a regulator has always been to ensure the high quality of the academic programmes offered by higher education institutions in the State of Qatar. Al Rayyan International University College in partnership with University of Derby is committed to the delivery of high-quality university level education to students in Qatar, which will satisfy the needs of the Qatari society for specialised high-quality education and will provide students with the opportunity of receiving high-quality UK and internationally accredited university degrees.”

Dr. Ivan Ninov, the Executive Dean of Al Rayyan International University College, said “ARIU in partnership with University of Derby will have a very strong student-centred approach to ‎learning and education‎. The mission of the programmes will be to prepare students for their future management functions in local and international settings. ARIU will continue to work closely with local and international business organisations, which will enable our graduates to be well-placed for their future careers and to be consistently sought after by the industry. All academic programmes will be fully based on University of Derby’s curriculum, and licensed by the University of Derby. Upon successful graduation from the academic programmes, students will be awarded with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from the University of Derby in the UK. A degree from the University of Derby will open doors to an exciting future with varied career prospects and options”.
Starting from September 26th Al Rayyan International University College will start delivering the following

Programmes from the University of Derby:
• BSc (Hons) in International Business Management
• BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management
• BA (Hons) in International Tourism Management

Starting from January 2022 in addition to the undergraduate programmes, ARIU will also offer the following postgraduate courses:
• MSc in Tourism Management
• MBA Global in Hospitality Management
With more programmes to be added in the future.