He will bolster a backroom staff that so nearly led Ulster to a GUINNESS PRO12 home final last year before falling at the semi-final stage to Glasgow Warriors.
Les Kiss will also return as director of rugby after finishing his commitments with Ireland at the World Cup - and Barakat is confident the Irish province can make progress bother domestically and in Europe over the coming seasons.
"First of all, the greatest attraction to Ulster is the playing group - it's outstanding," Barakat told Ulster's official website. "Les (Kiss) said to me that this team can win a European Cup. Obviously people are disappointed with the result last year, but that gives us a chance to change and take a step forward.
"(Head coach) Neil Doak has got the guys attacking really well. My focus will be on getting more aggression in our defence to ensure it's having as big an impact as our attack. Winning the gainline will be critical.
"The facilities are second to none and the people have been really welcoming. You do your homework before you go anywhere and what I see is probably what I expected. The friendliness of the players and staff has been great and people are going out of their way to help.
"It's always good to progress in what you want to achieve as a coach. Coming to Ireland and coaching rugby and being part of a Province that has a large band of passionate supporters is a fantastic opportunity."
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