Ahlia University (AU) is the first private university licensed by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain under the Cabinet decision No. 03-1626, dated 25th March 2001. It is an autonomous university which is independently chartered and which is funded and managed by the private sector. The founders have articulated their vision of a distinctive institution of higher education to ensure that science and technology on the one hand and humanities and social sciences on the other take their rightful place in the building and advancement of our society. They aspire to create a centre of research and learning which naturally links up with the economic, cultural, scientific and industrial sectors of society in a productive co-operation.

All the professional programmes offered by AU are affiliated and accredited by highly reputed and distinguished leading universities in the UK and USA. The curricula of all degrees consist of a core component and a specialization component. In accordance with the philosophy of the university, the core component pays special attention to humanities and social sciences as subject matter best able to assist students in becoming enlightened human beings whose tolerance and open-mindedness extend to all mankind.

The specialization component is based on a combination of academic and professional expertise. It is our belief that this will produce graduates who can function successfully in the job environment. Equally significant is the fact that the traditional boundaries between disciplines are currently becoming obsolete due to the increasing complexity of modern technology and, therefore, all programmes have been designed to include interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary inputs.

With the opening of AU in Bahrain, students throughout the Gulf have, for the first time, the opportunity to join a truly progressive and challenging institution of higher education. They receive a technologically sophisticated education combined with a highly distinctive, liberal arts education. All the courses are taught by a select faculty who possess outstanding academic credentials and have relevant practical and professional experience.

  MISSION STATEMENT  

Ahlia University (AU) is a coeducational institution of higher education formed on the credit system.

It is an autonomous University, independently chartered and founded by the private sector.

With respect to the spheres of science, technology, and business education, AU aspires to be an acknowledged centre of excellence serving as both an effective agent of change and a model for other institutions to emulate.

AU strives to attract the most talented faculty and to provide them with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research in an intellectually stimulating environment.

AU admits students solely on the basis of their academic qualifications regardless of race, colour, gender, nationality, religion, sect, disabilities or age. The creation of a multicultural, co-educational, international academic community is both a means and an end in the mission of the University.

AU provides students with a rich and varied campus life that fosters their personal growth and supports their transition to responsible adulthood in a rapidly changing world.

AU integrates liberal studies and professional education to give its students both breadth of knowledge and depth of specialization.

AU is committed to produce graduates distinguished by their professional competence, humanistic outlook, uncompromising ethics, pragmatic approach to problem solving, and organizational and managerial skills. Given these attributes, AU graduates should be able to rise to the challenges posed by the needs of, and problems encountered in, the various development initiatives inaugurated by Bahrain and other GCC countries. In effect, AU expects its graduates, as vanguards of the transformation of these States, to play a pivotal role in the economic development of the Arabian Gulf.

  LOCATION AND AMENITIES

Ahlia University is situated in Manama at the crossroads of the Gulf. Ahlia University’s urban campus is located in the first floor of the Gosi Complex at the foot of Exhibitions Road just astride the Diplomatic Area, the Gulf’s pre-eminent banking center, yet only four kilometres from the Bahrain International Airport on Muharraq Island. Ample parking behind and inside the GOSI Center facilitates commutation, be it from Bahrain or from Saudi Arabia. Saudi students living in the Eastern Province are eligible to subscribe to the University’s transportation plan. A conveniently located food court on the first floor in the GOSI Center astride the University provides students not only access to a variety of soft drinks and light snacks but also a comfortable place to relax between studies. Outside the GOSI Center, several restaurants are located within easy walking distance of the Ahlia campus.  

  ACADEMIC FACILITIES

The Library: Ahlia University subscribes to the philosophy that provision of state-of-the-art library resources to its students and faculties lies at the heart of the mission of any institution of higher learning. To this end, Ahlia Library maintains a dedicated collection of conventional books targeted to the spheres of computer science and information systems on the one hand and business and finance on the other. Ahlia University Library is the first of its kind in the Gulf Countries to implement RFID technology based “Virtua” Library Management System. The RFID system provides for security of print and other circulatory material based on electronic chips. In view of technological developments, howver, Ahlia, in terms of its investment in knowledge media, regards electronic libraries at increasingly taking precedence over conventional libraries inasmuch as electronic libraries reach out to all their patrons from their desktops. Consonant with its progressive approach to knowledge management, Ahlia University has implemented a Digital Library to cater to present and future informational needs of its student-body and faculty.

  State of the Art Digital Library The library provides access to electronic journals and reference materials through three databases Computer Database, ABI Inform Global and Information Technology Case Studies covering the disciplines of Business & Management and Information Technology. The collection is an effective mix of over 1800 periodicals and 200+ case studies accessible by students via the internet – anytime, anywhere. Beyond providing access to its periodical collection, the information centre also provides access to a collection of 3000+ e-books across disciplines taught at the university, that serves to keep, students and faculty alike, in touch with current academic literature. The virtual library’s mission is to provide 24 hours/day 7 days/week access every year to patrons and strives to be the best virtual library in the Kingdom of Bahrain that uses this cutting edge technology to drive its knowledge acquisition process.  

Computer Laboratories : The Ahlia University specialized computer laboratories, which make use of the most recent technology, represent an integral part of the courses in the College of Mathematical Sciences and Information Technology. It offers students first-hand experience in applying theoretical knowledge gained in those courses as well as carrying out independent research.