The United Arab Emirates has introduced stricter criteria governing the universities its students may attend abroad, aligning these regulations with national employment priorities.
Under the new guidelines issued by the UAE Ministry of Education, the international rankings of universities will play a crucial role in preparing Emirati students for the domestic job market. Students must now choose institutions that rank highly both globally and within their specific fields of study.
Key requirements include:
Generally, universities must be ranked among the top 50 worldwide in the student’s chosen discipline.
For study in the United States or Australia, universities must rank within the top 100 globally overall and by field.
For other English-speaking countries, institutions must be in the top 200 globally both overall and in the relevant field.
For non-English-speaking countries, the threshold is a global ranking within the top 300 overall and by discipline.
The Emirates Human Resources and Community Development Commission (EHCD) emphasized that these standards are essential to improving students’ readiness for the UAE employment market and ensuring that international scholarships align with national strategic objectives.
“These standards arise from a clear vision to enhance the overseas higher education experience,” the EHCD stated.
Failure to comply may lead to qualifications being unrecognized for employment, promotions, study leave, exams, thesis defenses, or other benefits within UAE federal government agencies.
Students currently studying abroad—whether self-funded or on scholarships—will receive a one-year grace period starting June 2, 2025, to meet the new requirements. A special committee led by the EHCD Secretariat will evaluate exemption requests.
This initiative is part of a wider set of reforms targeting overseas education for UAE students. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research simplified degree accreditation and eased licensing procedures for foreign institutions seeking to open campuses in Dubai.
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