​​ The AGU and CMMS were established by a decree from the General Council of Ministers of Education of the GCC Countries at their 5th Meeting in Kuwait on 30th March 1980. In 2006, the College received the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for the best medical college in the Middle East. The College has a medical undergraduate program and several graduate programs. The first batch of 37 medical students was admitted to the College in October 1982. The number of registered year 1 students in the medical program currently is around 200. The College admits students from the GCC member states with seats allocated to non- GCC Arab nationals who are resident in GCC countries. Around two thousand five hundred physicians graduated from CMMS to date.​

The College follows a problem-based, student centered curriculum in the medical program. In this system of education, teaching and learning are carried out through an integrated organ-system process with the faculty members acting as facilitators to small groups of students. This educational strategy, which is currently being adopted by an increasing number of medical colleges throughout the world, aims at equipping the medical graduate with the desired knowledge, the appropriate attitudes and professional skills that are necessary for the effective and successful practice of medicine in the community, and for lifelong learning in the rapidly advancing field of medicine.

In line with the University’s mission to establish innovative and effective programs with relevance to the Arabian Gulf regional issues and the Colleges mission to recognize and respond effectively to the health needs of the region in 2001 the College started to offer Graduate programs leading to Diploma, Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Around one hundred eighty students have already graduated from the College’s various Graduate Programs.