Established in 2004, Al Ain University (AAU) opened the doors to its first student cohort in 2005. Constantly innovating, AAU expanded its facilities by opening a second campus in Abu Dhabi in 2008, offering programs in Business and Law. Having begun with three colleges (Engineering, Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences), the University has continued to expand its program offerings which now include 16 undergraduate programs across six colleges (Engineering, Pharmacy, Law, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Communication and Media) and 9 Master’s programs, as well as a Professional Diploma in Teaching.
The intention behind establishing Al Ain University came in response to guidance from His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the 1st President of the UAE. This was in regard to nurturing the people of the UAE on foundations of knowledge and science, and to contribute to the development of the UAE, as well as respond to the challenges precipitated by the twenty-first century evolution of technology and mass media.