The Business
The Siren Call of the UAE
The UAE is making an ambitious play for enhanced educational outcomes and economic reform. Foreign universities and business schools looking to establish offshore campuses are taking notice.
By Chloë Lane
"As the UAE invests heavily in education and pushes to become an ‘AI Hub’, it becomes the ideal location for business schools and universities that are motivated to become more ‘future focused’."
In Brief
- The UAE is rapidly becoming a global education hub, attracting top universities to support its economic diversification and innovation goals through Vision 2030 and significant investment.
- Institutions must meet high academic standards and align with national priorities like AI, technology and economic diversification. Education emphasizes real-world experience and skills for a changing economy.
- The UAE offers a unique opportunity for universities to innovate and contribute to a knowledge economy, providing students with crucial networks and in-demand skills for tech, innovation and entrepreneurial careers.
A wealthy hub for business and innovation, the United Arab Emirates has long attracted professionals and holidaymakers alike. Now it is also attracting some of the world’s most prestigious higher education institutions.
As part of the UAE Vision 2030, the area is striving to reduce its reliance on oil, and instead encourage growth in areas such as education, innovation and research. As part of this initiative, the area has invested heavily in AI, fintech and sustainability. So much so, that children as young as four will be taught about AI as the government rolls out an artificial intelligence curriculum in state schools across the country this academic year.
“In the UAE, adopting and advancing AI is not optional; it is essential to our national future,” remarks Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Education, in a published commentary. “AI supports economic growth, fosters sustainable development and significantly enhances individual capabilities.”
When it comes the UAE’s changes to higher education, the plans are equally as ambitious. Dubai, for instance, intends for international students to make up 50 percent of total university enrolment by 2033. At the same time, initiatives are in place to expand student visas and ensure more than 90 percent of students secure suitable employment after graduation.
As the UAE invests heavily in education and pushes to become an ‘AI Hub’, it becomes the ideal location for business schools and universities that are motivated to become more ‘future focused’.
But when it comes to foreign universities opening campuses in the UAE, entry is not guaranteed.
Quality Over Quantity
Any university or business school that hopes to establish a campus the UAE must undergo a thorough and multi-layered assessment process led by the UAE Ministry of Education and the local Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
This evaluation examines academic quality, governance structures, financial sustainability, faculty credentials and the alignment of programmes with the UAE’s national priorities, including technology, innovation and economic diversification.
Institutions are also required to demonstrate that their teaching standards match those of their home campuses, ensuring consistency and credibility in transnational education. Not only this, but institutions must also be able to meet international benchmarks, and contribute meaningfully to the UAE’s long-term vision.
Martin Boehm, Executive Vice President and Global Dean of Undergraduate Programmes, describes this "rigorous assessment process”, adding that it’s to make sure that all higher education institutions are meeting the same standards.
Only those that pass these conditions are allowed to operate, making the UAE home to some of the world’s most respected and future-ready education providers.
Working Directly with Industry
At the centre of the UAE’s education reforms is a focus on creating a knowledge economy. Students come to the UAE looking for engagement with industry and having an impact on the community.
This shift reflects the UAE’s vision to position itself as a global hub for talent, technology and transformation, ensuring that graduates not only have academic credentials but also the skills, networks and practical experience to succeed in an economy that is rapidly changing.
This practical, hands-on approach is embodied by Hult International Business School, which recently earned accreditation from the UAE’s Ministry of Education for the quality of its postgraduate curriculum.
Across each of Hult’s campuses, located in Dubai, Boston and London, challenge-based learning is used to immerse students in real-world business scenarios. The Dubai campus offers a unique combination of international business opportunities and a diverse global community.
“Dubai is the place to be if you want an entrepreneurial career, or one that has anything to do with tech or innovation,” explains Boehm. “It is quite straightforward to secure necessary work permits, especially if you’re already in the country, which obviously would be the case for students.”
The Campus of the Future
The structure and prime locations of these campuses at the heart of the UAE’s hotspots are almost as important as the learning that takes place within them. These modern campuses fitted with high-quality equipment provide the perfect environment to learn, network and help students become the version of themselves that will attract the most sought-after employers.
Consider Australia’s University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), whose 200,000 sq ft ‘Campus of the Future’ opened in 2020 in Dubai Knowledge Park.
“Our Campus of the Future enables us to keep up with the pace of Dubai’s ambitious growth plans,” remarks Professor Mohamed Salem Zein, President at UOWD.
Courses at UOWD embed ethical AI, sustainable engineering and corporate responsibility deeply into the curriculum, skills increasingly demanded by employers. “This is what our students are being asked about in job interviews,” notes Professor Zein. “They’re not only looking at your grades.”
But the approach goes beyond simply using technology on courses. “It’s more about addressing the curiosity of the student in a way that gets them to believe this is a very interesting experience,” he explains.
UOWD is also expanding in the region, planning a new campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the country’s Vision 2030 programme. It’s the first foreign university to receive a Saudi Investment Licence under the country’s Vision 2030 programme.
The call of the UAE does not stop at Australian-based universities. The UK’s University of Birmingham became the first Russell Group university to establish a campus in Dubai in 2022. Located in the Dubai International Academic City, the world’s largest free zone dedicated to higher education, the area is home to 25,000 students representing 149 nationalities.
Much like UOWD’s campus, the University of Birmingham’s ‘intelligent campus’ reflects the modern, tech-focused ambitions of the UAE: with innovative teaching zones, digital-first classrooms, and an integrated Living Lab for sustainability research in partnership with Siemens.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Tickell says that the campus demonstrates the University of Birmingham’s long-term commitment to contributing to UAE society, through in-country partnership in education and areas of research strength that support the national agenda.
The new campus was part of the university’s broader global expansion strategy, building upon long-standing international teaching partnerships in places like China and Singapore.
A Global Business Hub
Abu Dhabi is also a popular hub for the world’s most prestigious business schools. INSEAD has made a significant mark in the Middle East, with the launch of a purpose-built Abu Dhabi campus in 2017.
“Abu Dhabi offers a rare combination of geographic connectivity, a rapidly diversifying economy and strong government support for education and research,” says Mark Mortensen, the Associate Dean of the INSEAD Middle East Campus. “[Abu Dhabi’s] ambition to become a global hub for business, technology and innovation aligns closely with INSEAD’s values of academic excellence, entrepreneurial thinking, and societal impact.”
The region’s focus on AI, advanced technologies and innovation is reflected in the programmes, research and partnerships offered at the Middle East Campus. Located in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), students learn in the middle of the capital’s financial and innovation district.
It’s a good fit for ‘the business school of the world’, which has blended AI with virtual reality to transform leadership development. Recent VR cases include collaborations with Miral (in tourism) and Al Mouneer (in healthcare), ensuring that learning is both globally informed and locally relevant.
“Our faculty tailor content to the specific context and challenges of the Middle East, combining global insight with local relevance,” says Mortensen.
Designing the Future of Higher Education
Studying in the UAE promises real-world experience, professional networks and a connection to some of the fastest-growing industries in the world.
As institutions start to embed AI, sustainability and industry collaboration into their programmes, students in the UAE will see this in practice in internships, business case studies and speakers.
The UAE’s higher education landscape is evolving quickly. The combination of government policy, strict regulation and investment in education are attracting world-class universities while also pushing them to innovate.