Rafik Hariri University

What Rafik Hariri University does

Rafik Hariri University (RHU) is a private higher education institution established in 2001 and operating from a main campus in the Meshref/Damour area of Lebanon. The university delivers undergraduate and graduate programs through three colleges — the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering (ABET-accredited), and the College of Arts and Sciences — using English-language instruction and serving primarily Lebanese students alongside a regional recruitment pipeline. RHU runs a Student Information System (SIS) and a Moodle LMS for academic administration and online learning, and provides an extensive set of on-campus student services including dormitories with solar water heating, a cafeteria, athletic facilities, health services, counseling, a work-study program, and 20+ active student clubs, supported by an alumni network, Alumni Association, and Alumni Legacy Campaign.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees (set annually), with ancillary recurring fees from transportation services ($400 per regular semester, $200 per summer semester on Beirut/Choueifat/Sidon/Iklim el Kharoub routes), parking ($80 per regular semester, $40 per summer), and one-time non-degree programs such as 'Learn English through Fun', Technocamp I, and Digital and Social Media Marketing training. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer through a website, online application portal, campus tours, school competitions, open houses, orientation programs, alumni referrals, and earned media coverage. A distinctive differentiator is the Sustainable Campus Initiative launched in January 2017, which includes a 100 kWp rooftop solar PV plant, rooftop rainwater harvesting (1,600 m² catchment on Block E yielding up to 760 m³ annually), aerobic composting operations, and a building energy management study using eQUEST simulation that has achieved a June energy intensity of 10 kWh/m²/month in Building-E (with an optimistic annual rating of 120 kWh/m²/yr versus a 265 kWh/m²/yr typical commercial benchmark).

Name

Rafik Hariri University

Legal name

Rafik Hariri University

Website

https://rhu.edu.lb

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Engineering education
• Sustainable campus

Headquarters

HQ city

Uppsala

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition fees which are determined on an annual basis. The university offers scholarships and financial assistance programs including competition and merit-based scholarships.
2. Transportation Services: Fee-based bus shuttle services routing from Beirut, Choueifat, Sidon, Iklim el Kharoub to campus at $400 per regular semester and $200 per summer semester.
3. Parking Services: Student parking facilities with fees of $80 per regular semester and $40 per summer semester.
4. Non-degree Programs: Revenue from non-degree programs including summer programs like 'Learn English through Fun', Technocamp I, and Digital and Social Media Marketing training courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Rafik Hariri University is a private higher education institution in Lebanon that delivers undergraduate and graduate academic programs across three colleges: the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Sciences. The university also runs non-degree summer programs (e.g., 'Learn English through Fun', Technocamp I, Digital and Social Media Marketing training) and supports students with on-campus services including dormitories, transportation shuttles, parking, counseling, health services, athletics, and a work-study program. A Sustainable Campus Initiative, launched in January 2017, integrates renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, and composting into both operations and curricula.

Product overview

Rafik Hariri University (RHU) is a higher education institution offering academic programs through three colleges: College of Business Administration, College of Engineering, and College of Arts and Sciences. The university operates digital platforms including a Student Information System (SIS) and Moodle Learning Management System. RHU also maintains a comprehensive Sustainable Campus Initiative launched in January 2017, which includes a 100 kWp Solar PV Power Plant, water management with rainwater harvesting, and composting operations. Additional student services encompass housing with solar water heaters, health services, counseling, athletics, student clubs, transportation shuttles, and a work study program. The institution does not appear to offer API-based products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College of Business Administration One of three academic colleges at RHU, offering undergraduate and graduate business administration degrees for prospective and current students seeking careers in business.
• College of Engineering One of three academic colleges at RHU offering ABET-accredited engineering degrees across multiple disciplines for students pursuing engineering careers.
• College of Arts and Sciences One of three academic colleges at RHU offering arts and sciences degree programs for students seeking liberal arts and sciences education.
• Non-Degree Summer Programs Short-term, non-degree educational programs including summer courses and professional training such as 'Learn English through Fun', Technocamp I, and Digital and Social Media Marketing, targeting students and professionals seeking skill development.
• Transportation Services Fee-based bus shuttle services routing students from Beirut, Choueifat, Sidon, and Iklim el Kharoub to the RHU campus, priced at $400 per regular semester and $200 per summer semester.
• Student Housing (Dormitory) On-campus dormitory facilities equipped with solar water heaters, available to enrolled students seeking residential accommodation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23-29% of total electrical energy consumed by cooling systems in Building-E
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SUKLEENminorOthersSUKLEEN is mentioned in the composting context as the operator of the Karantina Plant, which is the only facility actually composting at a large national scale in Lebanon. RHU references this as context for its own composting efforts rather than as an active partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Balamand: University of Balamand is a private Lebanese university in northern Metn with engineering, business, health sciences, and arts programs. It is comparable to RHU on the three-college structure, ABET-accredited engineering, and private-sector positioning in the Mount Lebanon student market.
• Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK): USEK is a private Lebanese university north of Beirut with engineering, business, architecture, and arts & sciences programs plus a medical school. It is directly comparable to RHU on the three-college core and competes for students across the Mount Lebanon and northern coastal corridor.
• Haigazian University: Haigazian is a small private liberal-arts and sciences university in Beirut with business, arts & sciences, and education programs. It is comparable to RHU as a Beirut-area private institution competing on similar undergraduate tuition and student profile, though it lacks a large engineering portfolio.
• Lebanese American University (LAU): LAU is a private, English-language Lebanese university with multiple colleges (engineering, business, arts & sciences, pharmacy, medicine, architecture) operating in Beirut and Byblos. It is the most direct comparator because it competes with RHU for the same domestic and regional private-university students with comparable ABET-aligned programs and tuition band.
• Beirut Arab University (BAU): BAU is a private Lebanese university offering undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, business, arts & sciences, medicine, and pharmacy. It competes with RHU for similar private-university applicants in Beirut and Tripoli and is closely comparable in scale and program mix outside the medical school.
• Lebanese International University (LIU): LIU is a private Lebanese university with multiple campuses across Lebanon offering engineering, business, and arts programs. It is a direct peer in size, tuition band, and the three-college model, competing for the same price-sensitive private university segment.
• Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU): NDU is a private Lebanese university offering engineering, business, architecture, arts & sciences, and a law school, with a sustainability-oriented campus. It directly competes with RHU on the engineering-business-arts triangle and on Lebanese private-university positioning.
• Université Saint-Joseph (USJ): USJ is a large private French- and English-language university in Beirut with multiple faculties including engineering, business, medicine, and law. It is a close peer in geography, language posture, and student recruitment profile, but with broader academic depth.

Regional players

• American University of Sharjah (AUS): AUS is a leading private English-language university in the UAE offering engineering, business, architecture, and arts & sciences programs. It does not compete head-to-head in Lebanon but captures a portion of the same regional and Lebanese-diaspora student pool that RHU targets for international recruitment.

Broad incumbents

• American University of Beirut (AUB): AUB is Lebanon's flagship private research university with a full professional-school portfolio (medicine, engineering, business, arts & sciences, nursing, public health). It is the dominant incumbent RHU benchmarks against on accreditation, faculty credentials, and tuition, but operates at materially greater scale and recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RHU.Lebanon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rafik-hariri-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rafik Hariri University