Alwasl University

What Alwasl University does

Al Wasl University is a non-profit higher education institution headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, established in 1986 by His Excellency Juma Al-Majid under the patronage of the Dubai government. The university originated as the College of Islamic and Arabic Studies and was re-licensed as a full university by the UAE Ministry of Education in April 2019 (Decision No. 107). It operates two colleges — the College of Arts and the College of Islamic Studies — and a Deanship of Postgraduate Studies, delivering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs primarily in Arabic Language and Literature, Islamic Studies (Fiqh and Usul), and Library and Information Sciences. The university has approximately 1,000 currently enrolled students and over 6,000 lifetime graduates from the College of Arts alone.

The university's revenue is generated almost entirely from tuition and academic fees, structured on a per-credit-hour basis for postgraduate programs (1,458.33–2,222 AED per credit hour) and on a free-tuition or subsidized model for bachelor's programs (Arabic Language and Islamic Studies are tuition-free; Library and Information Sciences charges 630 AED per credit hour). It also operates a Continuing Education Centre for professional development and an "Injaz Program" for workforce readiness. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an online registration portal (awu-apps.al-majid.tech), UAE-wide education fair participation, and the university's own campus in Dubai. The technology stack is not publicly disclosed; stated integrations include Al-Manhal electronic library, an in-house electronic library, the Al-Majid information system, Turnitin for plagiarism detection, and Microsoft Teams for conferencing.

The institution is supported by three peer-reviewed journals (Al-Wasl University Journal, Thought and Knowledge Journal, and Al-Maw'el Journal), three research centers (Linguistic and Narrative Studies, Sunnah Studies, and Artificial Intelligence), and a recurring portfolio of international academic conferences. It maintains strategic academic partnerships with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, Mohammed bin Rashid Library, Al Qasimia University, University of Fujairah, and several international universities. The institution is privately governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by its founder, with Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Abdul Rahman serving as University Chancellor, and is not PE/VC-backed.

Name

Alwasl University

Legal name

Al Wasl University

Website

https://alwasl.ac.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Al Wasl University is a Dubai-based non-profit higher education institution founded in 1986, offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in Arabic Language, Islamic Studies, and Library and Information Sciences to approximately 1,000 UAE and GCC students, with free tuition for select bachelor's programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Islamic studies programs
• Arabic language education
• Library information sciences
• Postgraduate research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

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. Tuition and academic fees: Revenue generated from student tuition fees across bachelor's and postgraduate programs, charged on a per-credit-hour basis for postgraduate programs, and fixed per-semester rates for bachelor's programs. Bachelor programs in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies are offered free of tuition; Library and Information Sciences bachelor charges 630 AED per credit hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Al Wasl University is a non-profit higher education institution offering accredited bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in Arabic Language and Literature, Library and Information Sciences, and Islamic Studies, delivered on its Dubai campus and supplemented by a Continuing Education Centre and research centers. It charges tuition on a per-credit-hour basis for most programs while providing tuition-free bachelor's tracks in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies.

Product overview

Alwasl University is a non-profit higher education institution in Dubai, UAE, established in 1986 by Juma Al-Majid. The university offers a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate (Bachelor's) and postgraduate (Master's and PhD) programs primarily in Arabic language, literature, Islamic studies, and library sciences. The academic structure comprises two colleges (College of Arts and College of Islamic Studies) under the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies. The university also operates a Continuing Education Centre offering professional development programs, the Injaz program for career readiness, and maintains research centers including one for AI research. Key publications include the Al Wasl University Journal, Thought and Knowledge Journal, and Al-Maw'el Journal. An electronic library system provides digital resource access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College of Arts (كلية الآداب): College offering programs in Arabic Language, Literature, and Library and Information Sciences at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.
• College of Islamic Studies (كلية الدراسات الإسلامية)
• Deanship of Postgraduate Studies (عمادة الدراسات العليا)
• Office of Student Affairs (عمادة شؤون الطلبة)
• Injaz Program (برنامج الإنجاز)
• Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (مركز بحوث الذكاء الاصطناعي)
• Center for Linguistic and Narrative Studies (مركز الدراسات اللسانية والسردية)
• Sunnah Research Center (مركز بحوث السنة النبوية)

Products and services

• Bachelor of Arabic Language and Literature
• Bachelor of Library and Information Sciences
• Master's in Arabic Language and Literature - Literary and Critical Studies
• Master's in Arabic Language and Literature - Linguistic Studies
• Master's in Islamic Studies - Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh
• PhD in Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh
• PhD in Linguistic Studies
• PhD in Literary and Critical Studies
• Continuing Education Centre Programs
• Injaz Program (Work Readiness)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 graduates from the College of Arts alone, with graduates serving in educational institutions across the region.
• +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

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mohammed bin Rashid Library (Dubai)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2025Memorandum of Understanding between Mohammed bin Rashid Library and Al Wasl University, signed January 24, 2025, as part of Al Wasl's strategies to enhance the scientific and cultural level of community members. The two institutions co-organized the International Conference on Library and Information Sciences.
• Ministry of Culture and Youth (UAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific and cultural cooperation agreement with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth to strengthen academic and cultural ties.
• Al Qasimia University (Sharjah, UAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration agreement with Al Qasimia University in Sharjah for scientific and cultural exchange.
• University of Fujairah (Fujairah, UAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic cooperation agreement with the University of Fujairah in the Fujairah emirate.
• Al-Maktoum College for Higher Education (Scotland, UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement with Al-Maktoum College for Higher Education in Scotland for academic exchange and joint research.
• University of Malaya (Malaysia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with University of Malaya in Malaysia for scientific and cultural cooperation.
• University of Monastir (Tunisia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration agreement with University of Monastir in Tunisia.
• Sultan Moulay Sliman University (Morocco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic cooperation agreement with Sultan Moulay Sliman University in Morocco.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ajman University: UAE private university offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple disciplines. Comparable as a UAE-based private higher education institution targeting similar resident and national student populations with Arabic-medium instruction.
• Al Ain University: UAE private university with multiple campuses offering undergraduate and graduate programs including Islamic Studies and Arabic. Comparable as a UAE-based private higher education institution competing for similar Arabic-medium humanities students.
• Al Qasimia University: Sharjah-based university focused on Arabic Language and Islamic Sciences with both undergraduate and postgraduate offerings. Directly comparable to Al Wasl as a UAE non-profit humanities institution with similar Arabic/Islamic specialization and an active scientific conference program.
• Zayed University: UAE federal institution offering bachelor's and master's programs with strong Arabic Language and humanities tracks. Comparable as a UAE-based higher education provider serving similar UAE national and resident student segments with Arabic-medium instruction.
• United Arab Emirates University (UAEU): The oldest and largest federal university in the UAE, offering programs across humanities including Arabic and Islamic studies. Comparable as a UAE higher education institution serving national and resident students with Arabic-medium humanities programs.
• University of Fujairah: Fujairah-based UAE university with which Al Wasl has a formal academic cooperation agreement. Comparable as a UAE regional university offering similar undergraduate programs and serving overlapping student demographics.
• University of Sharjah: UAE private university offering broad undergraduate and postgraduate programs including Arabic and Islamic studies. Comparable as a UAE-based multi-college institution with Arabic-language offerings and similar student demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT): Largest UAE federal higher education institution, operating 16+ campuses with broad applied/academic programs. Comparable as a major UAE higher education provider competing for national students, though its focus is more applied and broader than Al Wasl's humanities specialization.
• American University of Sharjah (AUS): UAE-based private university offering broad undergraduate and graduate programs primarily in English. Comparable as a UAE-based higher education institution with active research centers, though it competes with Al Wasl for resident students across the humanities.

Regional players

• Imam Malik College for Islamic Sharia and Law: Sharia and law-focused higher education institution in the UAE operating in the same Islamic scholarship niche as Al Wasl's College of Islamic Studies. Comparable as a regional institution specializing in Fiqh and Islamic jurisprudence, though smaller and more narrowly focused than Al Wasl.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alwasl_un
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvn6T0jSGuMXVmYxY1beUrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/alwasl.un
• Instagraminstagram.com/alwasl.university
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/alwasl-university

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Alwasl University