A nonlinear Finite Element analysis of beams with openings is conducted to study the influence of opening location, from the face of support at the shear zone to mid-span at the flexure zone, on the structural behavior of the beam. The research also includes adopting two strengthening schemes around the beam opening, and then assessing the structural behavior of the strengthened beams, by studying the initial crack load, failure load, deflections and failure mode. The study consists of a control group of reinforced concrete beams; one without an opening, and five with large openings each beam with an opening at a different location measured from the face of the support to the start of the opening at distances of 0d , 0.5d ,1d , 2d, and 4.25d. The second strengthened group of reinforced concrete beams includes ten beams, two for each opening location, where for one beam the opening is strengthened by full wrapping, whereas the other beam is strengthened by inside wrapping only. The strengthening material used is carbon fiber reinforced polymer CFRP fabric adhered to the concrete surface using a suitable recommended epoxy resin system. Numerical results of the nonlinear analysis include, initial crack loads, ultimate failure loads, load deflection curves, crack patterns, and failure modes for both the reference and strengthened groups of beams. Large openings in reinforced concrete beams have great structural effect on their behavior, where initial cracking happens at earlier loads, carrying capacities are reduced, stress concentrations around opening corners, and higher deflections are the predominant signs of premature failure. Comparative studies are conducted and the influence of the opening location is discussed where openings in the flexure zone (at the mid- span) are of less structural effect than opening closer to the shear zone. Strengthening using CFRP fabric bounded externally by a suitable epoxy resin system is successful where wrapping around the opening proved to be superior to wrapping inside the opening only scheme