Arab Open University

The Arab Open University (AOU) is a non-profit, private university established in 2002. The university operates under the chairmanship of Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud and the presidency of Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Zakri. The headquarters of AOU is located in Kuwait, designated in December 2000. The university has a long-standing academic partnership with the United Kingdom's Open University.^[1]

The AOU has a widespread presence with branches in several cities across the Middle East and North Africa, including Al-Hasa, Dammam, Ha'il, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, Amman, Bahrain, Beirut, Ardiya, Cairo, Oman, Khartoum, and Al-Bireh, Palestine. The first phase of AOU was launched in October 2002 in Kuwait, Lebanon, and Jordan. Subsequent branches were opened in Bahrain, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia in 2003, in Oman in February 2008, and in Sudan in September 2013.^[2] In May 2015, AOU signed an agreement to open a new branch in Palestine with the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education.

The AOU offers a range of academic programmes taught in English.

• BA (Hons) in Business Administration
• BA (Hons) Business Studies/Accounting track
• BA (Hons) Business Studies/Marketing track
• BA (Hons) Business Studies/ Finance track
• BA (Hons) Business Studies/ Human Resources Management track
• BA (Hons) Business Studies/ Management track
• BSc Programme (Hons) in Information Technology and Computing (ITC), offered in one of the following tracks:
  • Information Technology and Computing (ITC)
  • Computing (C)
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Computing with Business (CwB)
• BSc Programme (Hons) in Graphic and Multimedia Design (in some of AOU's branches)
• BA Programme (Hons) in English language & Literature (ELL):
  • Translation Track
• BA Programme (Hons) in English Language and Literature with Business (ELL with BS)
• BA Programme (Hons) in Media is offered in the following specializations (Egypt Branch):
  • Electronic Media
  • Radio and Television
  • Public Relations
• And offered in the following tracks:
  • Electronic Media (Track) (Jordan & Lebanon)
  • Public Relations (Track) (Jordan)
• BA Programme (Hons) in Education in Elementary Education
• BA Programme (Hons) in Special Education / Learning Disabilities

Note: only available in some AOU branches.

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• MSc in Computer Programming
• MSc in Computing – Information Security and Forensics
• Postgraduate Diploma in Computing
• MA in English Literature
• High/General Diploma in Education
• Master of Education in Education Technology
• Master of Education in Educational Leadership

• List of universities in Kuwait