The Government’s decision to establish Sultan Zainal Abidin University has been a milestone in the development of the country’s public education institutions and is a pride of the people of Terengganu  and the Malaysian community as a whole.

The chronology of the establishment of UniSZA:

• 1980 – Sultan Zainal Abidin Religious College (KUSZA) is established and operating at Sultan Zainal Abidin Religious High School located in Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu

• 1985 – Laying of KUSZA foundation stone in Gong Rhino by His Excellency the late Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah

• 2005 – Announcement of the establishment of Darul Iman Malaysia University (UDM) by the Honorable Prime Minister, Dato ‘Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on March 26, 2005

• 2006 – Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia (UDM) commenced operations on 1 January 2006
• 2010 – UDM renamed Sultan Zainal Abidin University (UniSZA) on May 13, 2010