24th Annual Conference · Call for participation open

Higher Education
in the Arab World

AI-Driven Economic Development
through Creative Research

The Arab Academy of Sciences convenes university leaders, researchers and policymakers from across the region for its 24th annual conference. Submit an abstract, join the programme and register to attend.

DatesDates to be confirmed · 2026

VenueTestCity

ProceedingsSelected papers published by Springer

Plenary session of the Arab Academy of Sciences annual conference — Plenary session · Academic assemblyVol. XXIV · 2026

01 · The Academy

A continuing record of Arab scholarship

Since its first conference in Beirut in 2003, the Arab Academy of Sciences has convened annual meetings on the region’s defining scientific and higher-education challenges.

Full conference history

24thAnnual conference

2003First convened

152026 papers

10Springer volumes

02 · Conference Themes

Research aligned with economic development

Objectives & outcomes

01
AI-Driven Research for Economic Impact
How universities can use AI to address national priorities, solve industry problems, and generate commercially and socially valuable research outcomes.
02
Universities as Engines of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Building start-up ecosystems, technology transfer offices, incubators, and venture partnerships to turn research into scalable ventures.
03
Developing AI-Ready Human Capital
Reforming curricula, pedagogy, and lifelong learning to prepare graduates and professionals for future AI-powered labor markets.
04
Creative and AI-Enabled Research for Economic Value Creation
From research excellence to commercialization, innovation, and market impact.
05
Leadership, Governance, and Policy for AI Transformation
Institutional strategies, regulatory frameworks, ethics, and funding models that enable responsible and impactful AI integration.
06
University–Industry–Government Collaboration in the AI Era
Creating effective triple-helix partnerships to accelerate knowledge transfer, co-innovation, and policy alignment.
07
Global Economic Models and Lessons for the Arab World
Adapting international experiences to Arab economic and institutional contexts.
08
Measuring Impact: From Rankings to Economic Value
New metrics, benchmarking, and evaluation models to assess universities' contribution to productivity, innovation, and national competitiveness.

03 · 2026 Contributors

University leaders and senior scholars

All 15 speakers

Amman, Jordan

Nathir M. Obeidat

President, University of Jordan

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Steer Creative Research Towards Achieving Economic Development Goals in the Arab World

Amman, Jordan

Rami A. Abdel-Rahem

President, University of Petra

Scientific Researcher in AI Era: Opinions from the University of Petra

Sohar, Oman

Hamdan Al Fazari

Vice Chancellor, Sohar University

Higher Education in the Arab World: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Drive Economic Development through Creative Research –- A Case Study of Sohar University, Oman

Kuwait

Isam Zabalawi

President, Australian University, Kuwait

Educating Innovators Early: Undergraduate AI Research as a Foundation for National Economic Competitiveness

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Ghassan Aouad

Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University

Generation Z Learners in the Age of AI: A Case Study of Higher Education in the UAE with Implications for the Arab Region

Al Ain, UAE

Ghaleb Elrefae

President, Al Ain University

The Impact of International Accreditation as a Driver of AI-Enabled Innovation and Economic Development on Higher Education: Insights from the AACSB Experience

04 · Published Record

An enduring Springer series

The Academy’s conference scholarship has been developed into a continuing collection of edited Springer volumes on the Arab world’s most urgent higher-education questions.

All 10 volumes