Doha: Under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) celebrated the graduation of 1162 students. The graduates earned associate and bachelor’s degrees as part of CCQ’s fifteenth graduating class, the Class of 2026, under the theme “Together, We Shape the Future.”
During the ceremony, HE the Prime Minister honored 62 top-performing graduates from academic programs across the Management Science, Science and Technology, and Liberal Arts divisions. CCQ President Dr. Khalid Al-Horr then presented the graduates with their degrees, marking a proud national milestone.
The ceremony was attended by sheikhs, ministers, ambassadors, academics, faculty and staff, graduates’ families, and distinguished guests of the College.
The Class of 2026 is the largest in the College’s history since its founding 16 years ago, a record increase over the two previous classes. In 2024, 872 students graduated and HE the Prime Minister honored 53 top achievers. In 2025, 860 students graduated and 59 top achievers were honored.
A College Built on Partnership
In his address, Dr. Al-Horr congratulated the graduates and expressed his pride in this record achievement. He said it reflects CCQ’s success as Qatar’s largest national college meeting the needs of the job market. He described how the College began as a simple idea, planted like a seed of ambition, and has grown into a deeply rooted tree whose fruit is thousands of graduates. He added that CCQ’s flexible and sustainable model of education, together with its effective strategic partnerships with national institutions, has made the College a trusted bridge that enables Qatari talent to contribute to sustainable development in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Dr. Al-Horr described collaboration as the College’s most cherished value and a defining part of its approach. He announced that this year alone produced seven strategic partnerships. The most notable include a partnership with the National Cyber Security Agency to protect Qatar’s digital space. Another partnership, with the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, celebrated its first outcome with the graduation of the first cohort of the Associate of Daawa and Islamic Sciences program.
Learning Without Limits
The College believes that education opens new horizons for everyone, whatever their circumstances. Reflecting that belief, Dr. Al-Horr shared an exceptional human story from this year’s class: six graduates who continued their studies from within correctional and rehabilitation facilities. Through determination, they completed their programs and earned their degrees alongside their peers.
Closing his address, Dr. Al-Horr delivered a moving message to the graduates, urging them to put their knowledge into meaningful work and continued service. He quoted a line of Arabic poetry: “Be someone of whom those who come after will say: ‘They passed this way, and here is the mark they left.’” He encouraged them to create opportunities rather than wait for them, and to make service to their community and country their top priority. He assured them that the nation is counting on them and that they are worthy of this trust and responsibility.
The graduates represent all three of the College’s academic divisions: Management Science, Science and Technology, and Liberal Arts. Their success builds on the integrated learning environment CCQ provides. CCQ’s full five-year national institutional accreditation from the National Committee for Qualifications and Academic Accreditation (NCQAA), which made CCQ the first national higher education institution to earn this distinction, support that environment. The College’s key programs in cybersecurity, information technology, and logistics and supply chain also hold international accreditation.
Graduate Address: A Victory for Determination
Latifa Turki Methqal, who earned a Bachelor of Human Resource Management, delivered the address on behalf of the graduates. She spoke about the challenges this historic class had overcome and emphasized that great ambitions are shaped by will and achieved through persistence. She described this graduation as a victory of determination. Some graduates balanced work and study, she said, while others juggled family responsibilities with their education, and others chose to persevere through difficulties that nearly derailed them.
The graduates expressed their deep appreciation to HE the Prime Minister for his patronage of the ceremony, describing his presence as an honor they will always treasure. They extended their sincere thanks to the College’s leadership and faculty, and to their families, who supported them through every difficult stretch of the road. The graduates also pledged their loyalty to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Amir of Qatar. They affirmed their commitment to putting their knowledge and expertise at the service of the nation, contributing actively to Qatar National Vision 2030, and supporting the country’s continued progress. “If our years of study taught us how to succeed, the years ahead will test our ability to make a difference,” they declared.
The graduates also expressed their joy at reaching this milestone after years of hard work and perseverance. They described CCQ as their gateway to balancing work and family commitments, thanks to its flexible schedules and learning system. They also described it as a place that sharpened their skills in critical thinking, leadership, innovation, and teamwork. As the College’s newest ambassadors, the graduates affirmed that they are fully ready to enter the workforce and give back to their country, and expressed their ambition to pursue graduate studies.
Reem Al-Kuwari: Perseverance Opens Doors
Reem Saad Al-Kuwari, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, said she chose the field for two reasons: its importance in protecting systems, networks, and digital data, and the career opportunities it offers in both the public and private sectors. She chose CCQ for the support and flexibility it gives students as they pursue their academic and professional goals.
Reem describes graduation as the reward for years of patience and hard work. She also calls it an indescribable joy after overcoming the obstacles that stood between her and a long-held dream. She says her time at college had its setbacks, especially early on, when she struggled with time management and with communicating with her professors and classmates. She decided to work on herself and learn from her mistakes. She read books on personal development and academic success. She made a point of sitting in the front row and asking questions. She also helped host college events in front of audiences to build her confidence. Perseverance alone is not enough, she says, unless it goes hand in hand with learning, change, and a willingness to correct course.
Reem considers time management and setting priorities among the most important skills she gained, along with flexibility and openness to different points of view. Labs, college projects, and field training also strengthened her analytical and problem-solving abilities and helped her connect theory with practice.
After graduation, she hopes to begin her career in cybersecurity and gain experience before pursuing graduate studies in artificial intelligence. Her message to female students is not to let setbacks make them give up on their dreams. Every experience holds a lesson, she says, and patience and perseverance lead to success.
Latifa Methqal: Ambition Has No Age Limit
Latifa Methqal, who earned a Bachelor of Human Resource Management, describes her graduation as a mix of joy, pride, and gratitude. It was a moment in which she reflected on all the effort she had put in and the challenges she overcame while balancing her studies with work and family responsibilities. She sees her degree as a personal achievement as much as an academic qualification. For her, it is proof that ambition is not tied to a particular age or stage of life, and that determination and self-belief can open doors that once seemed out of reach.
Latifa chose human resources because she believes people are the foundation of any organization’s success, and that real investment begins with developing and empowering individuals. The field brings together her interest in management, her passion for working with people, and her desire to be part of a workplace that helps employees discover their abilities and achieve their goals.
She says her studies at CCQ enriched her academically, personally, and professionally. She strengthened her analytical and time management skills and learned to handle challenges with confidence and flexibility. She also gained deeper knowledge of training and development, HR planning, and performance management. Her studies allowed her to connect what she learned in class to her own job, and to see how fair professional practices and employee development can make a real difference in organizational performance.
After graduation, Latifa looks forward to continuing to build her expertise, making a positive impact in the workplace, and helping develop talent and future leaders. Her advice to students is not to put their dreams on hold or compare their path with anyone else’s. Everyone has their own circumstances and timing, she says. What matters most is to keep going, because achieving one dream can be the start of even bigger ones.
Ghanim Almass: Ambition Beats a Hard Start
Ghanim Almass looks back on his time at CCQ as an experience that changed how he sees his abilities and his future. Several universities and companies turned him down because of his high school grades. He found the motivation to keep going in the support of his family, classmates, and faculty, determined to prove he could achieve his goals. Today, he is proud to have moved past that difficult start and reached a milestone that did not come easily.
He said time management was one of his biggest challenges, especially since he usually registered for the maximum number of courses allowed. That meant balancing his personal life with his academic workload. The experience taught him the importance of managing his time and setting priorities. Meanwhile, the research presentations he delivered in his major courses developed his public speaking and his ability to think on his feet, skills he looks forward to using in his career.
He added that his studies are already paying off, particularly since he recently joined the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) as an information security researcher. He found some courses, especially National Law and Organizational Behavior, most relevant to his work. They gave him a better understanding of the legal and administrative sides of the workplace.
Ghanim advises new students to be patient and persistent, to do what they can, even in small steps, and to put their trust in God. Beginnings can be hard, he says, but things get easier with time as long as you stay focused on your goal and keep working toward it.
Mashael Alsulaiman: Never Stop Learning
Mashael Alsulaiman, who earned an Associate of Business Administration, believes learning does not stop with a degree. She already holds a bachelor’s degree, but she enrolled in CCQ’s business administration program to broaden her knowledge and gain new skills. She graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, ranking first in her class.
Mashael describes the experience as a milestone she is proud of, especially since she returned to school as a mother with family responsibilities. That required careful time management and a balance between home and study. She believes one of CCQ’s greatest strengths is the opportunity it gives people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to learn and grow.
Studying business administration broadened her understanding of management and of the role planning and organization play in an organization’s success. It also developed her skills in time management, research, teamwork, and presenting ideas. Her academic success boosted her confidence in her ability to keep studying and excel despite her responsibilities.
Mashael hopes to use the skills she has gained, alongside her university degree, to strengthen her career prospects. She advises anyone considering an associate degree program to set clear goals and choose a field that adds to their experience and supports their ambitions. Learning is not tied to age or previous qualifications, she says, and hard work and organization make achievement possible. She also highlighted CCQ’s role in equipping national talent with the knowledge and skills the job market needs, helping Qatar’s young men and women grow and contribute to the country’s development.
