Establishing an educational institution that was financially and geographically accessible to all was a pressing dream for His Excellency Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In the early 1980s, PM Hariri chose Kfarfalous, an area between the South, Bekaa, and the mountains, to be the place for establishing a hospital and a university in collaboration with the University of Saint Joseph. However, the 1982 Israeli invasion led to the almost complete destruction of the university and the theft of its equipment.

In 1984, the dream took a different turn with the establishment of the Rafik Hariri Foundation. It is a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to provide Lebanese youth with a chance for higher education in local and international universities. Around 33,000 Lebanese students benefited from the University Loan Program of the Rafik Hariri Foundation and pursued their education in Lebanon, Europe, North Africa, and North America.

After the end of the civil war in Lebanon, the Rafik Hariri Foundation decided to revive the dream of establishing an affordable and accessible university. The undertaking of such a massive project called for the help of experts from a country that had made significant strides in the field of education. Although several educationally advanced countries were considered, Canada was eventually chosen for this collaboration. The programs of study at Rafik Hariri University were developed in association with several Canadian institutions, including the Canadian Bureau of International Education, the Canadian International Development Agency, Capilano University, and Memorial University.

Rafik Hariri University opened its doors for the first time on September 15, 1999, with the College of Business Administration, in accordance with the Presidential Decree 1947. It began with an initial enrolment of 75 students. After the Colleges of Engineering and Science and Information Systems were established, RHU was granted university status on June 19, 2006, by Decree Number 17192.