Arab Open University is a non-profit private university founded in 2002 in Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon. One year later it opened in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman. The AOU is affiliated with the UK Open University (UKOU). Agreements with the UKOU cover three major areas: licensing of materials, consultancies, accreditation, and validation.

It was established as a private university for Arabic speaking citizens in these countries. It has the following faculties:

• Faculty of Information Technology & Computing
• Faculty of Language Studies (English language)
• Faculty of Business Studies
• Faculty of Educational Studies

Saudi Arabia Branches (SAB)

In 2003 a year after establishing the AOU, the first branch in Saudi Arabia was opened in Riyadh. it had around a 1500 student, the main reason for it getting all of that success is because; Saudi Arabia's universities mainly excepted national students, the other student usually get sent to another country to continue there education there. The AOU was a new useful idea, that covered the essential needs for more universities to cover the huge number of student the university went a long way since then. In 2008 the SAB gone even bigger and opened more types of certifications, instead of having only one option in each Department; the university started to offer three more programs, which attracted even more student to study in the university.

The AOU teaching methods are mixture between a distant learning system, and a normal university system. Students go to the branch very frequently; especially full time students might need to visit the branch 3 times a week, %25 of the number of hours are takeing in the branch. The university also offer each student the online Learning management System (LMS).where students can access assessment components, participants, and tutors online.
Undergraduate programs 2010

The AOU offers three programs co-awarded in collaboration with the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU).

The AOU offering the following certifications:


IT department

• BSc Computing
• BSc Computing with Business
• BSc Bachelor of Science in Information and Communication Technologies
• BSc Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Computing

Business department

• Ba Business Studies - Systems Track
• Ba Business Studies - Economics Track
• Ba Business Studies - Accounting Track
• Ba Business Studies - Marketing Track
• Ba Business Studies

English department

• Ba English Language and Literature
• Ba English Language with Business

Education department

• Ba Elementary Education
• Ba Special Education - Mental Retardation

Academic calendar

The AOU has three semesters: First, Second, and Summer