Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies

What Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies does

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies is a Qatar-based government military educational institution operating under the Qatar Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence. Originally established in 2014 as the Joaan bin Jassim College for Command and Staff, it was reorganized and renamed by Amiri Decision No. 11 of 2022, which formalized its mandate as Qatar's premier defense studies academy. The institution serves three participant segments — senior military officers from the Qatar Armed Forces, personnel from Qatari security agencies, and senior civilian officials from government ministries — through admissions routed via official military and governmental channels that require unit commander approval and compliance with rank and age criteria. As of AY 2025-2026 the Academy reports 231 enrolled students, 150 cumulative graduates, and international delegations drawn from 21 countries, with a main campus located in Al-Khor, Qatar.

The Academy's program portfolio is organized across three operational units: the National Defense College (delivering the senior-level National Defence Course for high-ranking officials), the Joint Command and Staff College (delivering mid-level command training targeting Major and Lieutenant Colonel rank officers), and the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research (offering Master's programs in Defense Diplomacy, Defense Economics, Intelligence Studies, and a Master of Science in Cyber Defense, plus a PhD in Defense and Security Studies requiring 60 credit hours over three years). In 2025 the Academy conducted its first PhD dissertation defense in the history of higher military education in Qatar and maintains an active publications program of approximately 50 academic outputs. The Academy also operates the Center for Military Concepts and Doctrine.

The institution is funded directly by the Qatari government with no disclosed commercial revenue model; faculty compensation is structured per Ministry of Defence policies and includes salary, furnished housing, annual air tickets, educational allowances, and end-of-contract indemnity. Recruitment is conducted exclusively through official military and government channels. The Academy maintains ten active international partnerships and MoUs, including recent agreements with Qatar University, Doha University for Science and Technology, Jordan's National Defence College, Jordan's Royal Command and Staff College, and Qatar Press Center, supporting both academic cooperation and broader external engagement.

Name

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies

Legal name

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies

Website

https://jbj.edu.qa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies is a Qatar government military educational institution providing strategic defense education to Qatar Armed Forces officers, security agency personnel, and senior civilian officials through senior-level courses and graduate degree programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Defense Universities & Joint Professional Military Education (PME) (EDAHAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

War Colleges & Senior Service Colleges (EDAHAOAC), Command & Staff Colleges (Intermediate-Level Education) (EDAHAOAD), Military Graduate & Postgraduate Institutions (STEM/Defense Research) (EDAHAOAE), Defense & Security (EDABALAH)

Keywords

• Military education
• Defense studies
• National defense courses
• Graduate defense programs
• Military command training

Headquarters

HQ city

Al-Khor

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a defense academy under the Qatar Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence, the institution is government-funded. Faculty benefits include salary per Ministry of Defence policies, furnished housing, annual air tickets, educational allowances, and end-of-contract indemnity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies is a Qatar-based military educational institution that delivers higher military education through the National Defense College, the Joint Command and Staff College, and the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research. It offers the National Defense Course for senior officials, the Joint Command and Staff Course for officers at Major/Lieutenant Colonel rank, Master's programs in Defense Diplomacy, Defense Economics, Intelligence Studies, and Cyber Defense, and a PhD in Defense and Security Studies. The Academy serves Qatar Armed Forces personnel, security agency officials, and senior government ministry officials.

Product overview

Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies is a Qatar-based military educational institution offering a platform of three main colleges and a graduate studies dean ship. The core offerings consist of the National Defense Course (senior-level strategic education) and Joint Command and Staff Course (mid-level command training) from the colleges, supplemented by Master's programs (Defense Diplomacy, Defense Economics, Intelligence Studies, Cyber Defense) and a PhD in Defense and Security Studies from the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research. The Academy also produces publications including books and journals. All programs serve both military and civilian audiences and support Qatar Armed Forces' strategic and operational development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Defense College (كلية الدفاع الوطني): Provides the National Defence Course for senior officials from ministries, state institutions, security agencies, and Qatari Armed Forces officers
• Command and Staff College (كلية القيادة والأركان المشتركة)
• Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research (عمادة الدراسات العليا والبحث العلمي)

Products and services

• National Defense Course A senior-level course organized by the National Defense College targeting senior officials from ministries, state institutions, security agencies, and Qatar Armed Forces officers, focusing on strategic planning, national policy formulation, and resource management at the national level.
• Joint Command and Staff Course A course focusing on practical aspects through exercises that develop student officers' abilities to analyze, draw conclusions, and make logical recommendations. Emphasizes scientific research methods, briefing capabilities, dialogue management, and communication skills. Targets officers at Major/Lieutenant Colonel rank.
• Master's in Defense Diplomacy Master's degree program in Defense Diplomacy offered by the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, preparing national cadres to meet the needs of the Qatari Armed Forces.
• Master's in Defense Economics Master's degree program in Defense Economics offered by the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, preparing national cadres to meet the needs of the Qatari Armed Forces.
• Master's in Intelligence Studies Master's degree program in Intelligence Studies offered by the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, preparing national cadres to meet the needs of the Qatari Armed Forces.
• Master's in Cyber Defense Master's of Science program in Cyber Defense offered by the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, requiring 30 credit hours over one year of full-time study.
• PhD in Defense and Security Studies Doctoral program in Philosophy in Defense and Security Studies offered by the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, requiring 60 credit hours over three years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduated multiple cohorts of senior military officers and government officials across National Defense, Joint Command and Staff, and Graduate Studies programs

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Qatar UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Joaan Bin Jassim Academy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar University for academic cooperation in defense studies and research.
• Doha University for Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Strategic MoU signed with Doha University for Science and Technology for academic and research collaboration.
• Qatar Press CenterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025MoU signed with Qatar Press Center for media cooperation and press-related activities.
• Jordan's National Defence CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024MoU signed for cooperation in defense education and joint training programs between the two national defense colleges.
• Royal Command and Staff College (Jordan)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024MoU signed for cooperation in command and staff education with Jordan's Royal Command and Staff College.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bahrain National Defence College (Royal College of Defence Studies - Bahrain): Bahrain's senior defense educational institution targeting officers and government officials with strategic-level defense education; comparable in scope and Gulf positioning to JBJ's National Defense College.
• Kuwait National Defence College: Kuwait's senior service college providing the National Defence Course for senior military and civilian officials; a like-for-like Gulf-region peer in mission, scale, and customer base (national armed forces and government nominees).
• King Abdulaziz University - Prince Sultan College for Defense Studies: A Saudi-based defense and security studies college within KAU offering graduate-level defense education; serves as a direct comparator given its regional scope, multi-disciplinary defense curriculum, and graduate-degree structure analogous to JBJ's Deanship of Graduate Studies.
• UAE National Defence College: The UAE's premier senior defense education institution offering a National Defence Course and graduate-level programs for senior officers and government officials; directly comparable in mission, structure (National Defense College + Command and Staff College + Graduate Studies), and Gulf regional positioning to JBJ Academy.
• Royal Jordanian National Defence College: Jordan's senior service college delivering a National Defence Course for military and civilian senior leaders; already a formal MoU partner of JBJ Academy, making it both a peer and an active collaborator in defense education across the region.

Broad incumbents

• Turkish National Defence University: Turkey's national defense university offering undergraduate, graduate, and PME programs for Turkish and international military personnel; broader in scope but directly comparable as a defense-university model serving armed forces and government audiences.
• National Defence University (Pakistan): Pakistan's flagship defense university providing graduate education, war studies, and strategic-level courses to senior military and civilian officers; comparable in function to JBJ across PME, war colleges, and graduate defense studies.
• Royal College of Defence Studies (UK): The UK's premier senior defense college offering the Royal College of Defence Studies course for senior officers and officials from the UK and partner nations; a larger, well-established incumbent whose curriculum, rank-targeted participants, and international cohort structure closely mirror JBJ's National Defense Course.

Others

• Qatar Armed Forces - Logistics and Training Command: The umbrella parent military organization under which JBJ operates; included as an ecosystem/administrative affiliate rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Sultan Qaboos University - Military College (Oman): Oman's domestic partner for military-affiliated higher education; a regional peer serving the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces with strategic and operational defense education analogous to JBJ's mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jbj_edu_qa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@jbj.edu.qa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joaan-bin-jassim-academy-for-defence-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/jbj.edu.qa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies