Databases are fundamental pillars in modern technology, enabling efficient storage, organization, and retrieval of data, which facilitates management, analysis, and decision-making across various sectors. These systems rely on specialized platforms known as Database Management Systems (DBMS), which allow users to access information quickly and securely.<br /><br />Databases come in several types, most notably Relational Databases, which store data in interconnected tables managed by systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. On the other hand, Non-Relational Databases (NoSQL) are widely used in large-scale applications such as social networks and big data analytics, with systems including MongoDB and Cassandra.<br /><br />Databases play a vital role across multiple industries. They are used in the banking sector to manage accounts and transactions, in healthcare to store medical records and monitor patient conditions, and in e-commerce to oversee inventory and analyze customer behavior. Moreover, they are essential in artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, where they facilitate rapid and efficient data processing and analysis.<br /><br />Key advantages of databases include data security against breaches, data integrity to ensure accuracy, flexibility for easy updates and scalability, and fast data retrieval when needed.<br /><br />Despite these benefits, databases face growing challenges such as data volume expansion, the need for robust cybersecurity, and high-performance requirements for real-time processing. Cloud-based solutions like Google Cloud SQL and Amazon RDS have helped streamline database management efficiently without the need for complex infrastructure.<br /><br />Al-Mustaqbal University is the first University in Iraq.