COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M University has updated its plans for closing its Qatar campus, following a decision by the Board of Regents earlier this year to cease operations by 2028 due to rumors about compromised national research data.

President General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III recently communicated the latest developments to the university community.

In his statement, Welsh mentioned that the transition team, which includes members from both the Qatar and main campuses, has been collaborating closely with the Qatar Foundation (QF) to ensure a smooth closure. Their efforts aim to maintain high-quality engineering education for current students and minimize the impact on faculty and staff.

In late March, QF announced the launch of a new undergraduate engineering program at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), to be housed in the same building currently used by Texas A&M at Qatar. This new program will admit students who would have applied to Texas A&M, ensuring continuity in engineering education within Education City.

Welsh stated that the transition plan aims to provide faculty and staff with as much advance notice as possible regarding the end of their terms, ensuring at least 90 days’ notice in all cases and six months or more in most. The university has also opened a portal for current employees in Qatar to express interest in positions at the College Station campus, offering priority consideration for these roles.

Many faculty and staff interested in remaining in Qatar have found opportunities with HBKU’s new program. A cooperative agreement between Texas A&M and HBKU will allow these faculty to support both universities during the transition.

President Welsh highlighted that despite the planned closure, Texas A&M at Qatar’s legacy remains significant, with over 1,500 Aggie engineers having graduated from the campus since its inception. He expressed his gratitude to the Qatar campus community for their resilience and contributions.

“As Aggies, we’re hardwired to build things, so planning the closure of something so many of you were involved in building isn’t easy, but we are moving forward with respect for our students, faculty, and staff, and the legacy we have created with Qatar Foundation. We will continue to look for ways to ease the transition for those affected and will never lose sight of the fact that every action we take is going to be difficult for all those proud Aggies in Qatar,” said Welsh.