Sultan Qaboos University held its 2026 annual media briefing as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional communication with various media outlets and to highlight its academic and research role at both national and international levels. The University reviewed its key achievements, performance indicators, and future plans, in line with its vision of becoming “a distinguished university with global impact and standing.”
The briefing was attended by His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor, along with several university officials, and representatives from government and private media institutions, journalists, writers, and influencers.
In a statement, His Highness emphasised that the University’s notable achievements reflect the continuous royal support of His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik for the education, research, and innovation sectors. This support serves as a strong driver to continue the journey of excellence and further enhance the University’s role in serving the nation.
He added that the University is steadily implementing its strategic and operational plans aligned with Oman Vision 2040. In 2025, it achieved progress in 13 vision indicators, most notably ranking 334th globally and 8th in the Arab world according to the QS rankings—highlighting its growing international presence. The University also expanded the accreditation of its academic programmes through internationally recognised institutions, strengthening the quality of its graduates and aligning with global best practices.
The University maintains active strategic and research partnerships with the public and private sector institutions, providing scientific consultations and practical solutions to various challenges. It serves as a national centre of expertise supporting comprehensive development in Oman.
An Integrated Strategic Vision Toward 2040
The University began the briefing by presenting its long-term strategy (2016–2040), which focuses on excellence in education and learning, strengthening research and innovation, fostering entrepreneurship, and promoting a stimulating academic environment grounded in scientific analysis and creative thinking.
This strategy is built on core values including excellence, integrity, responsibility, creativity, and innovation—reinforcing the University’s role in generating, developing, and disseminating knowledge, while engaging with society locally, regionally, and globally.
The third executive plan (2026–2030) serves as a roadmap for decisions and projects within the University. It includes key initiatives such as enhancing education systems, transitioning toward an entrepreneurial university model, advancing research, driving digital transformation, developing human capital, improving infrastructure, and strengthening its position in global rankings.
Strategic Performance Reflecting Institutional Progress
The University reported positive results in its 2025 strategic performance indicators aligned with Oman Vision 2040. Out of 18 indicators, 13 were fully achieved, 4 nearly met their targets, and only one was not achieved.
Key highlights include:
● 85% labour market satisfaction with the University’s graduates
● 70% accreditation rate for undergraduate programmes
● 1,851 research papers published in peer-reviewed journals
● Advancing to 334th place globally in QS rankings
● Revenue exceeding OMR 4.5 million
● 20% private sector contribution to research funding
In innovation and entrepreneurship, the University established 7 startups and registered 14 patents, reflecting the growing effectiveness of its innovation ecosystem.
Educational Legacy and Quality Outcomes
The University reaffirmed its pivotal role in building Omani human capital, as the total number of its graduates since its establishment reached 74,005 graduates, including 66,526 at the undergraduate level and 7,479 in postgraduate studies.
At the level of admissions for the 2025–2026 academic year, the University welcomed 3,133 male and female students, including 80 students with visual or physical disabilities, in addition to 957 postgraduate students, among them 113 international students. This reflects the University’s direction toward enhancing academic diversity and international openness.
In the field of international cooperation, the number of active cooperation programmes and agreements reached 83. Meanwhile, the total number of signed cooperation programmes and agreements for 2024 and 2025 amounted to 51 agreements and programmes.
Expanding Academic Programmes and Future Specialisations
The meeting reviewed the University’s continuous expansion in academic programmes, as it currently offers 70 major specialisations at the undergraduate level. This reflects a diverse knowledge base that responds to national development needs and global transformations.
In this context, the University has been keen to introduce modern specialisations aligned with the requirements of the digital economy and the future labor market, most notably artificial intelligence, data science, digital business and economics, and veterinary medicine. This step enhances graduates’ readiness to deal with the evolving demands of the modern era.
At the postgraduate level, programmes have witnessed significant expansion, reaching a total of 123 programmes, distributed across 47 doctoral programmes and 73 master’s programmes, in addition to postgraduate diplomas. These include specialised fields that respond to the needs of vital sectors, such as operations and supply chain management, economics, finance, digital marketing, and genetic counseling, reinforcing the University’s role as a national hub for advanced knowledge production.
The presentation also included several distinctive academic initiatives, including the launch of the “Afaaq” programme, which aims to attract international students and Omanis to study on a fee-based system, as part of enhancing the University’s international presence and improving its global ranking.
In addition, the University continues to activate student exchange programmes, where 478 male and female students participated during 2024 and 2025 in international academic experiences across several countries, including Germany, France, Russia, China, Japan, and Türkiye. This contributes to broadening students’ horizons and enhancing their global experience.
Research and Innovation Serving Development
The meeting highlighted the University’s pivotal role in aligning research outputs with national development needs, thereby strengthening its contribution to building a knowledge-based economy. In this context, the number of scientific papers published during 2024–2025 reached approximately 3,390 papers in peer-reviewed journals, in addition to 488 papers presented at specialised conferences, reflecting growing research activity and expanding scientific production.
As part of directing research toward addressing real-world challenges and providing sustainable applied solutions, the University offered 36 research consultations to various government entities and implemented 22 strategic projects aimed at tackling national challenges. It also succeeded in attracting government funding exceeding 2.1 million OMR, reinforcing its position as an effective knowledge-driven hub and a key partner in supporting comprehensive development pathways.
In the private sector, the University provided 101 scientific research consultations to support decision-makers in the private sector institutions, with funding amounting to 1,792,944 OMR.
In the field of knowledge resources, the number of visitors to the University libraries reached 1,417,075, while the total number of electronic and printed theses amounted to 4,441,426.
Community Engagement and Training Initiatives
The University continued its community role by implementing 140 continuing education programmes during 2024 and 2025, benefiting more than 12,000 participants. This was in addition to over 100 community service programmes, 430 training programmes, and 50 awareness programmes.
The number of active local and international cooperation agreements reached 83, reflecting the University’s approach to expanding its network of institutional partnerships.
Sustainability and Digital Transformation
As part of its commitment to sustainability, the University achieved tangible results in energy efficiency, successfully reducing its energy consumption by 14.45%, generating annual savings estimated at approximately 611,000 Omani rials. This reflects its adoption of environmentally responsible practices.
On the digital transformation front, the University continued to develop its technological infrastructure by launching a range of smart systems and platforms that contribute to enhancing institutional performance efficiency. These include the Student Data System, the Research Management System, and the Digital Repository supported by business intelligence dashboards, in addition to the Innovation Management Platform and the Scientific Journals Management Platform. These initiatives strengthen data integration and support decision-making based on data analysis and knowledge.
Investment in Human Capital
The University continues to focus on developing human capital, as it employs 3,033 staff members, the majority of whom are Omanis, with a high Omanisation rate reaching 97% in administrative and technical positions.
The University also recruited 173 permanent employees during 2024–2025, in addition to a number of temporary positions such as research assistants, collaborators, and visiting professors. This is alongside scholarship and qualification programmes that included dozens of employees, as part of strengthening national competencies.
Projects Reflecting Ambition
Regarding construction projects on the University campus, Sultan Qaboos University reviewed a set of projects that reflect its direction toward developing infrastructure and enhancing the educational environment.
The completed projects for 2025 included the preparation of active learning classrooms in six colleges, in addition to establishing an active learning laboratory equipped with 33 3D computers, a food innovation laboratory, and upgrading the animal laboratory. It also included the development of meeting and study rooms in the main library, upgrading sports facilities, and establishing business incubators.
The ongoing projects were also reviewed, which include the new College of Law building, the ground station for receiving satellite images, new laboratories and facilities for the College of Engineering, the expansion of the College of Nursing, renovating housing facilities for female students, and the construction of a new administrative building.
As for future projects, the University is working on implementing several strategic initiatives, most notably the student residential city for male students, a new female student housing facility, an emerging technologies unit, a research centres complex, a veterinary clinic, and new facilities for the earthquake monitoring centre. This also includes the expansion of the Colleges of Arts and Economics, further development of campus accessibility for people with disabilities, and the completion of several facility upgrades aimed at improving the student environment and enhancing overall campus quality of life.
Toward a More Competitive Future
Sultan Qaboos University reaffirms its continuous efforts to strengthen its position as a leading educational and research institution by investing in human capital, knowledge, and innovation, and by integrating its efforts with various sectors. This contributes to achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040 and enhances its presence on the global university map.