The idea of establishing City University (CITYU) dates back to 1958, when the late Prime Minister Mr. Rashid Karami, together with educator Mr. Muhieddine Makkouk and a select group of leading citizens of Tripoli, decided to launch a project to meet the educational concerns of Tripoli in particular and North Lebanon in general. In 1966, they formally established “Al-Manar Society”, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality education to students of North Lebanon and other regions of the Arab World.

During the years that followed, the Society focused tremendous efforts on acquiring land suitable for the establishment of a world class university campus. Through a combination of purchases and grants, the Society was successful in securing 255,000 m2 of detached plots of land- at a location known as “Baal Al-Ghandour”. Through the continued perseverance of H.E. Omar Karami, aided by a special governmental decree, the scattered areas of land were redistributed to form one uniform plot of land designated for the university campus. Today, the overall area dedicated to the construction of the CITYU campus and its ancillaries stands at 150,561 m².

After the assassination of H.E. Mr. Rashid Karami, Prime Minister Omar Karami assumed the Chairmanship of “Al-Manar Society”, and formed the first University Board of Trustees in 1990. The Board was chaired by H.E. Omar Karami, and included 18 other prominent members of the Lebanese society and the Arab World, each offering a unique combination of skills and financial support. In addition, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahian Charitable & Humanitarian Foundation donated funds for the construction of CITYU’s Central Library; Mr. Abdel Majid Shoman donated funds for the construction of CITYU’s Abd el Hamid Shoman Arts & Sciences Building; H.E.  Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz donated funds for the construction of CITYU Auditorium and His Royal Majesty Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques donated funds for the construction of King Abdullah Building and H.E. Mr. Moustafa Durneika donated funds for the construction of CITYU’s Administration Building, all of which currently stand as a shimmering attestation to the University’s bright future as a beacon of knowledge for generations to follow.