It was shifted to Khost by special orders of the former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and was officially registered in 2003.

The university was named after Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who sponsored the construction of its campus in Khost.

The next governor, Merajuddin Patan, made a trip to the UAE, and requested funds for the completion of the university.

Governor Patan had a track record for opening schools, and supporting education for all genders, so it was only natural for him to push for the construction of SZU.

This Afghan university, college or other education institution article is a stub.