Dhamar University was established in 1996. Since then, the university has grown and developed into a major teaching and research center. Several faculties have been opened so far and the university it is poised for further expansion. In 1996, the faculties of Arts and Language, Applied Science, Agriculture and Veterinary Science were opened, followed by the faculties of Administrative Sciences, Computer and Information Technology, and Dental Faculty in 1997. The Medical and Engineering & Dams faculties were founded in 1998. The same year, Faculty of Education in Al Bayda’a was established. The continuing education institute (two years study) was established in 2004. Faculties in both Al Bayda’a and Rada’a were separated in 2009 from Dhamar University and became an independent university of Al Bayda’a.

Dhamar University is at the alma mater of some 136,000 undergraduate and graduate students, drawn from almost all over governorates of Yemen. Besides, a number of students are from abroad, too. On the faculty of the university there more than 520 faculty members both native and expatriate from Arab as well as foreign countries. Faculty members have doctoral degrees from some of the least prestigious universities of the world.