The College of Engineering in UOB owes its roots to Gulf Technical College, which was established in 1968. Gulf Polytechnic assumed its new status through Amiri Decree No.(2) dated February 18, 1981. From its modest beginning as an advanced vocational school, Gulf Polytechnic progressed steadily to become an institution of higher professional learning in Engineering, Business and Management. It was jointly supported by Bahrain, Qatar, U.A.E. and Oman. The Department of Engineering of Gulf Polytechnic comprised Sections in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering, as well as Computer Science.

In 1986, Amiri Decree No.(12) was issued to establish the UOB. Following this decree, the new organizational plan of the University was issued on November 21, 1987. The College of Engineering of the UOB chose to follow the one-track system wherein the students were admitted to Associate Diploma programs and those who graduated with a GPA of >= 2.50/4.00 were transferred to the B.Sc. Programs. To keep up with the dynamics of technological change, the engineering curricula for different programs were thoroughly examined and new B.Sc. Engineering curricula were designed in year 1999-2000 to replace the previous “One-Track” curricula. These programs were developed in consultation with the industry and emphasized design and the use of computers as a tool to solve engineering problems.

In 2003-2004, the College of Engineering made a decision to submit its programs for accreditation by ABET, Inc. In 2004-2005, it forwarded a proposal for consideration by the University Council and Board of Trustees. Following approval by the University Council, the College has been actively preparing itself for ABET accreditation. Meanwhile, the College has submitted its revised programs to the University Council for approval. The revised programs took into consideration improvement actions as a result of the self assessment of the programs. The modified programs address the requirements of periodic review of programs, giving attention to the latest advancements in various fields, the needs of the country and the region, and the requirements of ABET’s criterion 9 on program requirements. The effort for seeking ABET’s accreditation was starting by a collaboration of Colleges of Engineering and IT. As a result, the Accreditation and Assessment Office for Colleges of Engineering and IT (AAO) was established to coordinate the efforts and provide support, training and guidance to the programs.

Since there are no professional exams or licensureship requirements for the practice of engineering in Bahrain, the Dean of the College made arrangements to offer the professional exams of Engineering Council, UK (ECUK) at the College of Engineering, University of Bahrain. These exams are a requirement for registering as Chartered Engineer (CEng) with British Professional societies. City & Guilds manage the professional exams of the ECUK. Following two visits to the City & Guilds office in London and agreement has been signed that recognized the College of Engineering as an official center for ECUK exams.