Establishing the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) as a Regional Institute for Maritime Transport started as a notion in the Arab League Transport Committee’s meetings on 11th of March, 1970.

By the end of 1971, the United Nations delegated a committee to study the region’s need for this project. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) approved funding 3.2 million dollars on condition that the participant Arab countries contribute a sum of 8.25 million Egyptian pounds. Moreover, after visiting many of the country’s regions, the committee chose the city of Alexandria, known for its great cultural legacy, as a location because of its important geographical location, which is in the middle of the whole Arab region, as well as the abundance of the qualified personnel available.

The AASTMT started its activity in a temporary location in Alexandria on 28th of February, 1972. In 1979, AASTMT decided to set up an examination center to qualify captains, deck officers and marine engineers to get the necessary competence certificates to work on board high seas ships.

In October 1996, after surviving all the difficulties and fighting all the battles, and after having such secure position in the fields of engineering and business science and technology, it has become important that the AASTMT invest its achievement in the area of maritime transport to modify its title from: “The Arab Academy for Science Technology: A university specialized in maritime transport.” to “The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport” (AASTMT).