Ahlul Bayt International University

What Ahlul Bayt International University does

Ahlul Bayt International University (دانشگاه بین المللی اهل بیت ع) is a private non-profit higher education institution established in 1999 in Tehran, Iran, and upgraded to comprehensive international university status in 2014. It operates under the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and is governed by a Board of Trustees. The university's distinctive positioning rests on a student body that is approximately 90% non-Iranian, drawn from more than 30 nationalities, with degree recognition in countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. It is a member of the UNESCO International Association of Universities.

The university delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programmes across six faculties: Islamic Studies, Law and Political Science, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Management, Technology and Engineering, and Literature. Its digital infrastructure comprises an internal stack including the Hamava education management system (enrollment and academic records), the SamaLive virtual learning platform, the Kavosh digital library, a journals portal, an administrative automation system, and a campus food management system, supplemented by an on-site innovation hub called the Yas International Innovation Center.

Revenue is generated through a three-tier pricing model — full scholarship, half scholarship, and tuition-paying — with all tuition levels approved by the Board of Trustees. A $100 enrollment confirmation fee is required of every admitted student. Non-Persian speaking international students complete a 7-month Persian language preparatory course before their degree programme. Recruitment is conducted through international university partnerships (over 20 MoUs across six countries), the dedicated International Admissions Office, Telegram channels, and a multilingual digital presence, with entry cohorts in October (Mehr) and February (Bahman).

Name

Ahlul Bayt International University

Legal name

Ahlul Bayt International University (دانشگاه بین المللی اهل بیت (ع))

Website

https://abu.ac.ir

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ahlul Bayt International University is a Tehran-based private non-profit university serving international Muslim graduate students, with approximately 90% non-Iranian enrollment from over 30 nationalities across scholarship and tuition-paying tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ), International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships (EDAIABAI)

Keywords

• Graduate higher education
• International student admissions
• Islamic studies programs
• Persian language training
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scholarship Programs (Full & Half): The university funds full scholarship students (covering tuition, dormitory, and meals) and half scholarship students (covering tuition only, with dormitory and meals charged separately). These are awarded to elite international Muslim students based on academic merit.
2. Tuition Fees from Self-Paying Students: Self-paying (شهریه پرداز) students cover all tuition costs. Tuition amounts are approved by the university's Board of Trustees and announced periodically. An enrollment confirmation fee of $100 is required from all admitted students.
3. Educational Services (Short-term Programs): Revenue from 7-month Persian language preparatory courses for non-Persian speakers and short-term skill-building workshops for faculty and staff.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ahlul Bayt International University is a private non-profit higher education institution offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs across Islamic Studies, Law and Political Science, Social Sciences, Economics and Management, Technical Engineering, and Literature, primarily to international Muslim students. It packages these programs with full, half, and tuition-paying scholarship tiers, dormitory accommodation, meal plans, visa support, and a 7-month Persian language preparatory course for non-Persian speakers.

Product overview

Ahlul Bayt International University operates as a higher education institution offering a comprehensive suite of educational services across multiple faculties including Islamic Studies, Law and Political Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Economics and Management, Technology and Engineering, and Literature. The university's digital infrastructure consists of the Hamava education management system as the core student enrollment and academic management platform, supported by the SamaLive virtual education system for distance learning. The Yas International Innovation Center serves as the university's innovation and entrepreneurship hub. Additional platforms include the University Journals System for academic publishing, the Ketabforoshi publishing house, the Kavosh e-library, Peyvand administrative automation, and food automation services. The university also hosts several academic journals including Comparative Studies of Islamic History and Culture, Shia Literature Studies, Islamic Researches of Orientalists, and Muslim Women's Studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs
• Master's Degree Programs
• Doctoral Degree Programs
• Persian Language Preparatory Course
• Yas International Innovation Center Services
• International Scholarship Programs
• University Publishing House (Ketabforoshi)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 graduates employed in their home countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Belarusian State University (دانشگاه دولتی بلاروس)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026A comprehensive cooperation agreement was signed between Ahlul Bayt International University and Belarusian State University in Tir 1405 (July 2026). The agreement aims to expand scientific and research collaborations with international academic centers. This is the most recently announced international partnership.
• Hakim Sabzevari University (دانشگاه حکیم سبزواری)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange. One of the established international partnerships listed by the university's International Affairs Deputy.
• Razavi University of Islamic Sciences (دانشگاه علوم اسلامی رضوی)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange between two Iranian Islamic studies institutions.
• University of Tehran - Physical Education and Sports Science (دانشگاه علوم تربیت بدنی و ورزش)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange in sports sciences.
• University of Imam Khomeini (دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی(ره))coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding between two international universities in Iran for academic cooperation.
• Imam Sadeq (a.s.) University (دانشگاه امام صادق (ع))coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Imam Sadeq (a.s.) University, a leading Iranian university specializing in Islamic studies and law.
• Chabahar International University (دانشگاه بین المللی چابهار)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation with another Iranian international university.
• Istinye University (دانشگاه ایستینیه)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Istinye University in Turkey for academic cooperation and student exchange.
• Istanbul Aydin University (دانشگاه آیدین)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Istanbul Aydin University in Turkey for academic cooperation.
• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University (دانشگاه سلطان محمد فاتح)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University in Turkey for academic cooperation.
• Pontifical University Antonianum (دانشگاه آنتونیانوم)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with the Pontifical University Antonianum in Italy, representing interfaith academic collaboration.
• Siam Technology College (دانشگاه سیام)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Siam Technology College in Thailand for academic cooperation.
• Eastern Asia University (دانشگاه Eastern Asia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with Eastern Asia University in Thailand for academic cooperation.
• University of Havana (دانشگاه هاوانا)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with the University of Havana in Cuba for international academic cooperation.
• CUJAE Technical University (دانشگاه فنی CUJAE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with CUJAE Technical University in Cuba for engineering and technical cooperation.
• Informatics Sciences University (علوم انفورماتیک)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation in information sciences.
• Tarbiat Modares UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange.
• University of BirjandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange.
• Islamic Azad University Rasht BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange.
• University of GuilanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for academic cooperation and exchange.
• Vice Presidency for Science and Technology (معاونت علمی و فناوری ریاست جمهوری)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology of Iran for non-university scientific cooperation.
• Center for Communications and International Affairs of Qom Seminaries (مرکز ارتباطات و بین الملل حوزه های علمیه)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding for international seminary and religious academic cooperation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Al-Mustafa International University: Iran-based international university primarily serving non-Iranian Muslim students with multi-language programs and scholarship-funded tuition model. The closest direct analogue to Ahlul Bayt in mission, target audience, and operating model, with overlapping competition for international Muslim postgraduate students.
• Imam Sadeq University: Tehran-based private university specializing in Islamic studies and law, with strong international graduate programs. An MoU partner; comparable in academic focus (Islamic Studies, law) and in serving postgraduate students from across the Muslim world.
• University of Religions and Denominations: Qom-based private university focused on interfaith and religious studies for international students, with faculty drawn from diverse Islamic and non-Islamic backgrounds. Direct peer in interfaith dialogue positioning and international Shi'a-focused higher education niche.
• Imam Khomeini International University: Another Iranian international university (and an MoU partner of Ahlul Bayt) accepting non-Iranian students for graduate and undergraduate programs. Comparable in mission and target market, with similar scholarship structures and Iranian Ministry of Science oversight.

Others

• Belarusian State University: Belarus's flagship public university and the most recent international cooperation partner (July 2026 MoU) for joint academic and research activities. Included as an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor; relevant for understanding the international partner network.

Broad incumbents

• International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM): Malaysia's flagship international Islamic university offering degree programs in Islamic Studies, law, engineering, and medicine with English-medium instruction. A larger, more established competitor for the same international Muslim student segment, with stronger global degree recognition.
• Islamic University of Madinah: Saudi Arabia-based international Islamic university with full scholarship programs for Muslim students worldwide, covering tuition, housing, and stipends. A larger, better-funded incumbent competing for the same elite international Muslim student pool, particularly from Southeast Asia and Africa.
• Islamic Azad University: Iran's largest private higher education network with hundreds of branches and a substantial international student program. A much larger broad incumbent in the same Iranian higher-education ecosystem, though it serves a wider and less exclusively international student body.
• International Islamic University Islamabad: Pakistan's premier international Islamic university serving students from across the Muslim world with English-medium instruction and a wide faculty portfolio. Comparable target market and international-recruitment model, but with substantially larger scale and broader recognition.
• Al-Azhar University: Egypt's historic center of Sunni Islamic higher education, with a long-established international student program and global alumni network. Operates in a different sectarian tradition but is a benchmark incumbent in international Islamic higher education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/official-abu-ac-ir

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Ahlul Bayt International University