ARIU with University of Derby

What ARIU with University of Derby does

Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) is a private higher education institution headquartered in West Bay, Doha, Qatar, operating continuously since 2000 as Qatar's first private university. Originally launched as Stenden University Qatar under a partnership with NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), the institution rebranded to ARIU in 2021 when Al Rayyan International Education (ARIE) — a subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding chaired by H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani — entered a new academic partnership with the University of Derby (UK). Through this partnership, ARIU delivers UK-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in International Hospitality Management, International Tourism Management, International Business Management, Event Management, Accounting & Finance, MBA Global, MBA in Hospitality Management, and MSc Tourism Management, plus an Associate of Arts in Culinary Arts, a Professional Training Programme portfolio, and language courses (IELTS preparation, Arabic, Business English).

The core operating platform is the Total Campus Solution v4.0.0 student management system, which handles online applications, enrollment, and academic administration. ARIU is fully licensed by Qatar's Ministry of Education and Higher Education, with programmes nationally and internationally accredited. The institution maintains a small operating team of approximately 20 employees, supported by an Industry Advisory Board comprising senior leaders from Al Faisal Holding, Aamal Company, Qatar Museums, Qatar Stars League, and Katara Cultural Village Foundation, which feeds student pipelines into Qatar's hospitality, tourism, banking, aviation, and government sectors.

Revenue is generated through tuition fees priced per semester (UK Honours degrees at QR 40,000/semester; ARIU bachelor's programmes at QR 20,000/semester; Associate of Arts in Culinary Arts at QR 25,680/semester), postgraduate programmes at QR 88,000/year post-scholarship, a non-refundable QR 1,000 application fee, and pay-as-you-go short courses (IELTS preparation QR 8,000–10,000; Business English workshops QR 3,500; modular professional training courses QR 1,200–4,500). Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: ARIU recruits students via campus visits to schools, career fairs, open days, the EuroCHRIE 2024 international conference, and a multi-channel digital presence across website, social media, email newsletter, and corporate sponsorship programmes. Customer segments include undergraduate and postgraduate students, working professionals seeking certification, and Qatari nationals eligible for government scholarships.

Name

ARIU with University of Derby

Legal name

Al Rayyan International University College

Website

https://ariu.edu.qa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) is a private higher education institution in Doha, Qatar, delivering UK-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in hospitality, tourism, business, and event management in partnership with the University of Derby, serving students across Qatar and the broader GCC region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Thematic & Discipline-Specific Study Abroad Programs (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary (EDAGABAM), Integrated Language + Academic Skills (EAP) Bridging Programs (EDAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Hospitality management degrees
• Tourism management degrees
• Professional training programmes
• English language preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Doha

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Degree Programme Tuition: Revenue from undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes including BA/BSc honors degrees, master's programmes, and associate degrees. Tuition is charged per semester with various payment plans available including one-off yearly payment, per semester installments, and multi-installment plans.
2. Professional Training Programmes: Short courses and professional training programmes in hospitality, tourism, management, finance, and personal development. Revenue generated through participant fees for workshops and certification programmes.
3. Application Fees: Non-refundable application processing fees of QR 1,000 charged to prospective students applying for degree programmes.
4. Language and IELTS Preparation: IELTS preparation courses and language training programmes generating revenue through course fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ARIU delivers UK-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in international hospitality management, international tourism management, international business management, accounting and finance, event management, and culinary arts through its partnership with the University of Derby. It also offers Professional Training Programmes (management, finance, hospitality, tourism/events and personal development), IELTS preparation and language courses for individual learners and corporate clients in Qatar and the GCC region.

Product overview

Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) in partnership with the University of Derby offers a comprehensive portfolio of UK-accredited higher education programmes. The institution provides eight core academic programmes: three bachelor's honours degrees (International Hospitality Management, International Tourism Management, and International Business Management), two MBA programmes (MBA Global and MBA Global in Hospitality Management), one MSc in Tourism Management, one BA in Event Management, and one BSc in Accounting and Finance, plus an Associate of Arts in Culinary Arts. Beyond degree programmes, ARIU offers Professional Training Programmes (PTP) including Management, Financial, Hospitality & Services, Tourism & Events, and Personal Development short courses, as well as Language Courses including IELTS Preparation, Arabic Language Basics, Business English Writing, and Business English Communication. The institution operates from West Bay, Doha, and is fully licensed by Qatar's Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management
• BA (Hons) International Tourism Management
• BSc (Hons) International Business Management
• MBA Global
• MBA Global in Hospitality Management
• MSc in Tourism Management
• BA in Event Management
• BSc in Accounting and Finance
• Associate of Arts (AA) in Culinary Arts
• Professional Training Programmes (PTP)
• IELTS Preparation Programme
• Arabic Language Level 1 Basics
• Business English Writing
• Business English Communication

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,300 graduates have successfully completed their studies and contribute to Qatar's economic, cultural, and societal development

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of Derby (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Primary academic partnership delivering UK-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in international hospitality management, international tourism management, and international business management. All academic programmes are fully based on University of Derby's curriculum and licensed by the University of Derby. Students receive bachelor's or master's degrees from University of Derby upon graduation.
• Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Qatar)coreOthersRegulatory partnership for licensing and recognition of ARIU as a supported university. ARIU is on the list of supported Universities by the Ministry, and its programmes are nationally accredited.
• Al Faisal HoldingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization through Al Rayyan International Education (ARIE). H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani serves as Chairman. The Industry Advisory Board is led by Al Faisal leadership.
• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevious academic partnership (2000-2021) under which the university operated as Stenden University Qatar before transitioning to partnership with University of Derby in 2021.
• Al Jazi Tower Property ManagementminorOthersCommercial property partnership for campus location at Al Jazi Tower in West Bay, Doha.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management: Dubai-based hospitality management school offering UK-accredited degrees in the GCC. Highly comparable to ARIU in sector focus (hospitality), degree portfolio, international accreditation model, and Gulf-region student market, and is led by a faculty member (Helen Morris) who previously worked there.
• Hotelschool The Hague: Dutch specialized hospitality management university offering bachelor's and master's programs. Directly comparable to ARIU in its hospitality-management focus, European institutional heritage, and four-year degree structure targeting international hospitality careers.
• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences: NHL Stenden (Netherlands) was ARIU's prior academic partner (2000-2021) under the Stenden University Qatar brand. It remains the most directly comparable institution because it operates the same international branch-campus model for hospitality and tourism education, with which ARIU competes for similar faculty and curriculum frameworks.
• Les Roches: Swiss-based international hospitality management school with campuses in Switzerland and globally. Directly comparable as a hospitality-focused higher education institution offering accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, competing in the same international student recruitment pool as ARIU.

Emerging players

• University of Bolton: UK university with international franchise arrangements in Qatar and the Gulf offering business and management degrees. Comparable to ARIU as a competing UK-accredited international degree provider in the Qatar market, with similar pricing tier and program focus.
• MODUL University Vienna: Austrian private university specializing in tourism, hospitality, and international management. Comparable to ARIU in its thematic specialization (tourism/hospitality), private university structure, and undergraduate-to-postgraduate program stack.

Broad incumbents

• Qatar University: Qatar's primary public university offering a comprehensive range of programs including business, hospitality, and arts. Comparable as a domestic competitor for Qatari-national students and government-funded scholarship placements, with significantly larger scale and broader program portfolio.
• Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar: Qatar Foundation Education City branch campus offering US-accredited degrees in business, computer science, and related fields. Comparable to ARIU as a foreign university branch campus in Qatar competing for the same Qatari national scholarships and international student population.
• Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU): Qatar Foundation's flagship graduate-level university located in Education City, Doha. Comparable as a Qatar-based higher education institution competing for the same postgraduate student pool and government-aligned academic mission, though with broader disciplinary coverage.
• Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne: Globally recognized premier hospitality management school based in Switzerland. Comparable as a higher-tier international hospitality education brand competing for the same global student demographic seeking hospitality credentials, though operating at significantly higher scale and prestige.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ariu_derby
• TikToktiktok.com/@ariu_derby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ariu-in-partership-with-university-of-derby

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ARIU with University of Derby