The Hashemite University ( الجامعة الهاشمية ) is a university in Zarqa, Jordan. It is named after the Jordanian royal family — the Hashemites — and was established by royal decree in 1992. The Royal Decree ordaining the establishment of the Hashemite University was issued in June 1996. A Royal Committee was formed to manage and supervise this task headed by His Excellency the senate, Mudhar Badran, and included seven other members of specialists and experts in different fields of higher education. Similarly, The Board of Trustees was formed and included eleven members of specialists and experts of different education-related fields and headed by his Excellency the senate, Mudhar Babdran. The total area of the university's campus is 8519 acres 15% of which was used for buildings, 25 % for planting and agriculture, and the rest which is more than half of the area (65%) is desert. Teaching started at the onset of the academic year 1995/1996. Students were admitted to the three functioning faculties: Sciences and arts, Economics and Administrative Sciences and Educational Sciences.