For the third consecutive year, Al-Mustaqbal University has secured the first position among Iraqi private universities in the 2026 University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), adding another significant international achievement to its growing record of academic excellence. The university maintained its leading position among all private universities and colleges in Iraq, following its top rankings in the 2024 and 2025 editions. This accomplishment reflects the effectiveness of its strategic vision and its sustained commitment to research excellence and academic quality. At the national level, encompassing both public and private institutions, Al-Mustaqbal University ranked third in Iraq, surpassed only by the University of Baghdad and the University of Technology. Internationally, the university achieved an exceptional advancement by moving up 294 positions worldwide compared with the previous year's ranking, demonstrating the increasing impact, quality, and visibility of its scientific research output. The URAP ranking is recognized as one of the most prominent global university rankings focusing primarily on academic performance and research productivity. The ranking relies exclusively on verified data indexed in the databases of Clarivate Analytics and evaluates institutions according to several indicators, including: 1. The number of internationally indexed scientific publications. 2. The number of citations received by the university’s research outputs. 3. Overall scientific productivity and international research collaboration. This repeated achievement provides strong evidence of Al-Mustaqbal University’s commitment to international academic standards and its continuous efforts to enhance Iraq’s presence and reputation within the global higher education and research community. Al-Mustaqbal University, the First University in Iraq