KUWAIT: The QS World University Rankings report covers 1,503 universities in 106 countries, excluding 4 Arab countries. This article will present the classification of Arab universities as a reminder that education level is the most important pillar for building an advanced economy. The report ranks 59 Arab universities in the list of the first 1,000 universities, or 5.9 percent of the number of those universities in first 1,000 universities category. There seems to be a relationship between the size of the economy and the progress of university education; however, this does not apply to all Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Arab region, has 17 universities among the 1000 universities list. With 3 universities that are in the best 101-200 rank, 3 universities in the 501-600 rank, 3 universities in the 601-700 rank, 4 universities in the 701-800 rank, one university in the 801-900 rank and 3 universities in the 901-1000 rank. The second largest Arab economy is the UAE, which has 12 universities in the one thousand universities category.

It has 2 universities in the 201-300 rank, one university in the 301-400 rank, 3 universities in the 401-500 rank, 2 universities in the 501-600 category, 2 universities within the 601-700 rank and one university in the 801-900 rank. The third largest Arab economy, Egypt, has 6 universities in the list of thousand universities. However, in its case, the correlation between the number of universities on the list and the size of the economy is weak due first to its population size, area and cultural depth, and also because Lebanon and Jordan have the same number on the list.

The ranking of Egypt’s best university is 350, and the last is in the 801-850 rank. The strong correlation between the economy size and the development of education is more evident in Qatar; it has the 5th largest Arab economy though it has a small area and population. Nevertheless, it has 2 government universities on the list of the best thousand universities and advanced rankings: the 122nd and the 183rd.

Two states follow but with a weak correlation between the economy size and the education level. Lebanon has 6 universities on the list - the first of which ranks 250, and the last ranks 771-780. Jordan has 6 universities as well, the first of which ranks 368 and the last ranks 901-950. The correlation coefficient between the size of the economy and the level of education in Bahrain is slightly high as it has 3 universities on the list despite the small area and small population. The first ranks 539 and the last is in the 951-1000 category. Four Arab countries have one university each on the list. The best ranking for a government university is Oman in the 362nd, Tunisia in the 721-780 category, Iraq is in the 801-850 rank and Palestine is in the 851-900 rank.

Kuwait ranking

Kuwait, the 7th largest Arab economy, has 3 universities on the list: the first is a private university in the 611-620 rank; the second is a public university and is in the 801-850 rank; and the third, a private university, is in the 851-900 rank. In other words, Kuwait does not have a university in the first half of the list. Its backwardness cannot be explained either in terms of the size of its economy or the ratio of expenditure on education to GDP (7.1 percent), and the high cost of educational facilities. Without superior education, it is very difficult to achieve a real awakening project.