Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) has maintained its leading position domestically, securing second place among Palestinian universities in the January 2026 edition of the Webometrics Rankings. The university also made notable progress globally, ranking 1,360th out of more than 30,000 universities worldwide, whilst achieving 83rd place out of 1,336 Arab institutions.
Published bi-annually in January and July by the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Spain, the Webometrics Ranking evaluates institutions based on three primary criteria: visibility (web content impact), transparency or openness (number of citations), and excellence or scholar (number of published research papers).
Professor Dr As’ad Youssef As’ad, President of the Islamic University of Gaza, emphasised that this achievement is the culmination of collective efforts from across the university, including the administration, academic and administrative staff, trustees, the union, and students. He highlighted their shared commitment to sustaining the university’s educational mission despite the destruction it has endured. Professor As’ad expressed the university community’s pride in this latest milestone, voicing his aspirations for further progress to support and develop the Palestinian higher education system.
Meanwhile, Professor Dr Hatem Al-Aidi, Dean of Quality and Development at the university, noted the institution’s ongoing commitment to participating in global, regional, and Arab rankings. He attributed this success to the university’s robust academic, research, societal, and sustainability capabilities. Professor Al-Aidi further drew attention to the university’s achievements within global ranking frameworks during the 2023 war on Gaza, underscoring its international and regional advancement in defiance of the severe challenges confronting the higher education sector in the Gaza Strip.