The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is bearing the brunt of Iran’s retaliation because of its close Western ties. The region’s most important education hub and the world’s second-largest host of foreign/joint campuses after China, UAE is currently a country where schools and universities have been told to close until further notice and deliver classes online – out of an “abundance of caution.”

In less than a fortnight, Iranian strikes in the region have at times stranded international students and tourists trying to secure flights home; led prospective students who planned to study there to change their plans; and rattled institutions considering or already operating branch campuses in Dubai and elsewhere.

A spotlight on the risks of TNE

The past two years have witnessed a spike in interest among Western and Asian universities in transnational delivery modes such as branch campuses, joint programmes, articulation agreements, etc. New interest is particularly high in countries where government policies are affecting students’ ability to get a visa or to afford the costs of studying. Higher entry barriers for students have cut deeply into new international enrolments in Australia, Canada, and the US, prompting more universities in those countries to begin or extend programme delivery overseas.

But as interesting as transnational education opportunities can be, they also come with significant risks, and these are being highlighted by the growing footprint of this war. Some foreign universities operating branch campuses in UAE and other Gulf States – or considering doing so – are reassessing their plans because of concerns about staff safety, insurance, and margin for losses and disruption.

Speaking to about numerous Canadian institutions operating in UAE that have been caught up in the chaos, David Robinson, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, said:

“Clearly, the current conflict shows the risks facing universities in the region. There was always the danger of conflict that many institutions ignored. The illusion that the Gulf States were safe havens for Canadian and other foreign educational ventures has been shattered.”&ČÔČúČő±è; 

John Trudinger, a headteacher at a school in Dubai whose staff includes 100 Britons, told :  â€œThe shine has definitely been taken off. ” He said that his British staff were “deeply traumatised and really struggling to cope” with the war and that they have left and won’t return.

Ambitions on hold

The war has also cast a pall on Middle Eastern states’ ambitions to attract foreign educator investment and international students to the region. Maia Chankseliani, professor of comparative and international education at the University of Oxford, told :

“Regional escalation is already raising the cost and complexity of internationalization for Gulf universities. It will prompt some partners to pause new campus commitments, intensify risk planning and make the higher education ambitions embedded in…national strategies more difficult to deliver on current timelines. There will be financial and reputational repercussions that outlast the immediate crisis, as in recent decades the Gulf states have positioned themselves deliberately as a serious site for higher education expansion, attracting branch campuses, research partnerships and internationally mobile students.”

A break in momentum

The Middle East – especially UAE – has been growing ever more popular among international students. Keystone Education Group reported that search volumes for the region were up +90% between March and June 2025, with the UAE accounting for about two-thirds of that surge.

India is by far the top market for universities and schools in the Gulf states, sending hundreds of thousands of students. According to agents interviewed last week by India’s , there is significant concern among Indian families about sending their children there. Sanjay Laul, founder of the recruitment platform MSM Unify, said: “About one-third of our applicants requested contingency discussions – deferrals, alternate intakes, or secondary destination options.”

Adarsh Khandelwal, the co-founder & director of Collegify, said that much will depend on timing. He predicted “a timing shock – deferrals, remote starts, and rerouting” rather than a “Canada-style volume shock.”

However, Studyportals reports that at the start of March, search traffic on its sites for study in Gulf countries was down -43% from the pre-conflict peak, and that the decline is ongoing.

Volatility continues

For international students, agents, and educators, the war is yet one more example of the challenging environment for making decisions about study plans or business strategies over the past couple of years.

The opportunities of transnational education and alternative destinations grew more compelling as immigration regimes tightened in the Big Four. But the current crisis reminds us that safety never goes away as the top concern for families considering study abroad. It also serves to illustrate the significant risk of operating a school or university in another country without always knowing if student and staff safety is as secure as it is at home.

Speaking with , higher education consultant Vincenzo Raimo noted that tensions in the Middle East tend to subside quickly once a deescalation process is agreed to, and that international educators are now very adept at pivoting in the face of disruption. Mr Raimo says the most likely lasting consequence of the Iran war in terms of transnational education activity is that there will be a slower rush to the gate among universities contemplating a new venture:

“[Any conflict] will mean greater board-level scrutiny, with leaders and governors seeking firmer assurance on scenario planning, duty of care for staff and students, and the implications for insurance, security costs, and reputation of perceptions of safety deteriorate.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Student mobility in MENA boosted by foreign partnerships and branch campuses”
• “Recruiting in the Emirates: Big goals, world-class education, and new scholarships”
• “UK transnational education enrolments poised to surpass onshore students this decade”&ČÔČúČő±è;

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Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea continue to attract greater interest, and each is recording significant gains in Q2 amidst continued policy disruption and/or visa delays in other major destinations.

Drawing on student search data from its web properties, Keystone reports that interest in these four “Asian Tiger” destinations grew by 19% between March and June 2025.

Within that broader trend:

• Student interest in Hong Kong grew by 125% quarter-over-quarter
• Singapore saw a 33% increase in search volumes over the same period, indicating, Keystone says, “the country’s successful efforts to brand itself as an affordable yet high-quality education destination”
• South Korea was also singled out in Keystone’s annual State of Student Recruitment Report, having entered the table of top ten destinations for the first time ever

“When combined, the four Asian Tigers are currently more popular amongst searching audience than Japan and China,” adds Keystone. “Data shows that the Asian Tigers are attracting students from across the Asia-Pacific region, with students from India most interested, followed by Indonesia.”

The growing popularity of these — and other — destinations in Asia, can be attributed to investment in higher education and in initiatives to promote regional mobility. Keystone adds, “Their location also offers easy access for Asia’s growing middle-class population seeking quality international education closer to home.”

In a related development, Keystone is also reporting strong growth in interest for destinations in the Middle East, and especially in the United Arab Emirates. Overall search volumes for the region were up 90% between March and June 2025, with the UAE accounting for about two-thirds of that surge. Of particular note to recruiters the world over, Indian students are the leading source of that Middle East-focused search traffic as well.

For additional background, please see:

• “New analysis forecasts international student mobility through 2030“
• “Global survey underscores demand shift from ‘Big Four’ to ‘Big Ten’“
• “Student mobility in MENA boosted by foreign partnerships and branch campuses“
• “Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe“
• “Closer to home: Intra-regional mobility in Asia“

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Speaking at the șÚÁÏčÙÍű Middle East Scholarship and Partnership Summit in Muscat this week, Oman’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation HE Prof Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi welcomed delegates from around the Gulf region and abroad, saying: “It is without a doubt that your participation and informative presentations will greatly contribute to the success of this knowledge dialogue as we expand the horizon of shared knowledge and best practices in the fields of student and academic exchange.”

Dr Al Mahrooqi added that the summit was “supporting the country’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy, and the realisation of many other objectives of Oman’s . In addition, the Ministry is working on twinning Oman’s higher education institutions with the high-ranked international universities like those attending and participating in this summit today.”

The Minister went on to explain that her officials are increasingly focused on opportunities in postgraduate study and research in areas identified as top priorities in Oman’s Vision 2040 strategy. These include energy, environmental science, logistics, fisheries, agriculture, and a range of technology fields. “Hence,” she added, “this ministry has focused more on sponsoring students in specialisations related to these fields, as well as specialisations that thrived as a result of the fourth industrial revolution, like artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, data management, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.”

Omani officials indicated separately that there are now more than 5,000 foreign students enrolled in the country, and that the Sultanate is actively working to link policy development around international students to the internationalisation efforts of Omani universities and the government’s larger goals to internationalise its higher education system.

Dubai plans to double international student numbers

Meanwhile, Dubai is setting the pace in the region in the race to draw more international students. For example, Dubai – one of seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – announced an in November 2024 that includes a goal of increasing international students in its higher education system by 50% by 2033. Other related goals are to see:

• Educational tourism ramp up to 10 times the current level;
• Dubai ranked in the Top 10 Student Cities ();
• Three Dubai universities rank in the Top 100 QS university rankings.

Recently, growth in international student numbers has been very rapid: the number of international students in Dubai (including students coming to Dubai for the purpose of study and first- or second-generation foreign residents in the UAE) has increased by 25% since the 2022/23 academic year.

The following screenshot, shared by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KDHA), shows some of the latest developments in Dubai’s educational expansion.

Much of this new activity is happening in the economic “freezones” of Dubai’s Knowledge Village (DKV) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). These zones are owned by a for-profit branch of the Dubai government (TECOM Group). TECOM provides “ready-to-lease buildings and other services that allow institutions to quickly start operations.”

More branch campuses in the works

A spokesperson from KDHA told delegates at a conference hosted by Middlesex University Dubai in January 2025 that the expectation is for international enrolments to double by 2040, and that this will require even more branch campus expansion beyond the roughly 30 already in operation. Up to 15 additional branch campuses are anticipated to meet demand.

Already, there are close to 60 “international” campuses in Dubai, most of which are branch campuses in designated zones. The screenshot below shows the top home country origins of campuses in the emirate, and as you can see, Dubai welcomes both Western and non-Western partners. At least a third of branch campuses are from India, Lebanon, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran, and these campuses enrol a higher share of students from the local expatriate community than Western ones.

Almost 9 in 10 residents in the UAE have roots in other countries and can be first-generation, second-generation, or third-generation expatriates. They do not have citizenship but do have many other rights as residents in the UAE. The many countries represented by the expat community is part of the reason for the diversity of education options in the UAE and for the large number of branch campuses from all over the world.

After the UK, India has the most branch campuses in Dubai. Indians make up almost 40% of the total population of the UAE and number about 3.5 million across the seven emirates.

Indians represent the largest sending country

Across the UAE, international enrolments stand at about 220,000 – including (1) those coming from other countries specifically to study and (2) expatriates that are already living and working in the Emirates.

Of those coming from other countries to Dubai for studies, most are from India (43%), Russia (5%), Pakistan (5%), and Saudi Arabia (3%). More than half of them study business (55%), with engineering and IT next (11% and 9%, respectively). Half are in undergraduate programmes (51%), and 39% are at the master’s level.

What students say about Dubai

Dubai is increasingly developing a reputation for being an exciting student city – and for unique reasons. Jill Ahrens, for her 2024 research project, “,” interviewed international students in Dubai and noted:

“Students, who lived in another Arab or Muslim-majority country prior to coming to Dubai, commented upon the lifestyle in the city, which permits its residents to follow moderate Muslim principles, while at the same time offering ample opportunities for entertainment. In this sense, Dubai is exceptional amongst the other GCC countries and even the other UAE emirates…Dubai occupies a curious ‘in-between’ space, located west of the ‘East’ and east of the ‘West’.”

One postgraduate student at a British branch campus, said:

“It was more comfortable for me to come here rather than shifting all the way to Canada and getting used to the whole new environment. So I think it was in my comfortable zone, so I agreed to it. Because usually things work out in the same way here or Saudi Arabia or take any country in the GCC, they all have the same rules and regulations that they follow, so I think that was the reason why I came to Dubai.”

Saudi Arabia is trailing Dubai in international student growth

In 2016, Saudi Arabia sent over 100,000 students abroad for studies, mostly to the West. Many students were funded by the massive King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), which has since been replaced by smaller, more targeted scholarships. The winding down of KASP contributed to a significant decline in outbound student mobility from Saudi Arabia, and in 2022, only around 50,000 Saudis were studying abroad.

As outbound declined, however, the Saudi government set its sights on becoming a regional education hub and top tourism destination, goals that support its need to diversify the economy beyond oil and gas and that are articulated in its project.

Inbound student numbers grew to over 74,000 international students in 2017, but this has since fallen to just over 64,000, according to UNESCO data (2022). There was a nearly 17% decline between 2017–21, but a slight uptick in 2022. Two elements in the story of the decrease in international student numbers is:

• The UAE moving more quickly than Saudi Arabia to welcome branch campuses, and Dubai, in particular, dramatically increasing its attractiveness and ability to host international students in the span of a couple of years;
• Increased demand from Saudi students to remain at home for higher education, leading to capacity issues.

Branch campus activity is strengthening in Saudi Arabia, however, and it dovetails with an increasing emphasis on private sector funding and institutions in higher education provision in the Kingdom. The government wants the private sector to meet (1) burgeoning local demand for education (900,000 additional places need to be created by 2030, a 42% increase over the 2 million currently provided mostly by the state), and (2) regional demand for quality education.

University World News reported in September 2024 that:

“The Saudi Arabian government has awarded foreign investor licences to five international public and private universities, opening the way for them to set up branch campuses in the kingdom offering masters and bachelor programmes in priority areas such as healthcare, engineering, and business.”

The licences are for the following universities, though University World News noted that details and final approvals are pending/opaque in some cases:

• Arizona State University (US)
• University of Wollongong (Australia)
• University of Stratheclyde (Scotland)
• The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
• IE University (Spain)

Increased investment in attracting investment and in international student recruitment

Oher signals of Saudi Arabia’s goal to compete more vigorously as an education hub in the region include:

• The platform, which includes an invitation for foreign companies to help the Kingdom reach “human capital and innovation goals.”
• The platform, where international undergraduate and graduate students can apply for scholarships.
• Streamlined visa processing;
• More including “joint research initiatives, student and faculty exchange programs, the development of new academic programs, and industry-academia partnerships.”

The new push for private sector involvement may see Saudi Arabia join UAE, Egypt, and Oman in a much greater push to attract international students.

Egyptian universities hosted 26,000 international students in the academic year 2023/24 – a 117% increase over 2019/20, according to Minister of Higher Education Ayman Ashour. Growth markets include Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, India, and Nigeria, and new priority countries are China, Malaysia, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain.

Egypt’s new Administrative Capital features branch campuses and dual degree partnerships including foreign institutions such as:

• The University of Prince Edward Island (Canada)
• Toronto Metropolitan University (Canada);
• Coventry University (UK);
• University of Hertfordshire (UK);
• University of London
• British University of Central Lancashire
• University of Exeter (UK)
• Nova University Lisbon (Portugal)

Egypt also has plans to establish Egyptian branch campuses across Africa and Asia.

For additional background, please see:

• “Inbound and outbound student trends for South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco”
• “Recruiting in the Emirates”
• “Updated Saudi scholarship programme will send 70,000 students abroad by 2030”

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The UAE government is committed to diversifying the country’s revenues beyond oil, and it wants to draw a more direct line between the education that Emirati students receive and the skills the economy requires (especially for the country’s rapidly expanding tourism infrastructure). There is substantial funding allocated to study abroad scholarships for a wide range of programmes and types of institution (the new , aka RizeUp, is a perfect example).

Today, we’ll explore the UAE’s economic goals, education system, and scholarships to provide context for educators intent on recruiting in this market.

Geography: UAE is in Southwest Asia and is a federation of seven emirates (states) along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Neighbouring countries are Oman and Saudi Arabia. The largest emirate is Abu Dhabi, which takes up about three-quarters of the UAE’s total land mass. Dubai is also a major centre and education hub. The other emirates are Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Fujairah. In total, UAE is a bit smaller than Portugal.

Official language: Arabic. The high number of immigrants in the country also means that a number of other languages are spoken among pockets of the population, including English, Hindi, Farsi, Urdu, and Malayalam.

Language of instruction: Arabic in public schools. Students learn English as a second language and sometimes English is used for technical/scientific subjects.

Religion: Islam, though other religions are also practised by different expat groups.

Main cities: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman.

Population: 10.2 million, of which 8.9 million are expats, including Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Iranians, and Egyptians. There are significantly more men than women in UAE: men represent 69% of the population while women make up 31%. The most populous cities are Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. The demographic aged 15–24 makes up 12.2% of the population. Population growth is expected to peak in 2033 at 10.7 million people. The youth unemployment rate is much lower in UAE than in other MENA countries – generally below 10%.

Economy: UAE’s economy grew by 7.6% in 2022, higher than expected. The Central Bank of UAE attributes the higher growth to stronger than anticipated performance of sectors including tourism and hospitality, real estate, transportation, and manufacturing as well as the resumption of major events drawing business people from around the globe. UAE is known for being a very open economy that attracts a wide range of foreign businesses and investment. Like other MENA countries, UAE is attempting to diversify beyond its oil businesses and tourism is a priority sector: the target is for Dubai to be the “world’s most visited destination.” In the first ten months of 2022, Dubai welcomed 11.4 million international visitors, a 134% increase over the same period the previous year.

One example of just how far the UAE government intends to go in terms of becoming the top choice for the world’s tourists is what is now on offer in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate. Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, explained to :

“From cultural escapes to eco-tourism and adrenaline-fuelled adventures to beach retreats, Ras Al Khaimah appeals to a wide range of interests. [Its] attractions include the world’s first Bear Grylls Explorers Camp, the world’s first branded accommodation, as well as the highest restaurant in the UAE – 1484 by Puro. The emirate is also popular for its attractions such as the Jebel Jais Flight: The World’s Longest Zipline and Jais Sky Tour with many more attractions to open in 2022, such as Jais Sledder, the region’s longest toboggan ride that runs a length of 1,840 meters.”

The if you’re interested in the massive expansion of UAE’s tourism industry – it is fascinating.

Primary/secondary education: Primary and high school students attend either public or private schools. In the public school system (where students do not have to pay tuition), boys and girls are separated, and the system is governed by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Because instruction is in Arabic in public schools, and because there are so many expat families in UAE, private schools are a popular option for those who can afford them. The runs from September to March/ April, with two holiday breaks in the academic year.

In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the Abu Dhabi (ADEK) and (KHDA), respectively, oversee private schools rather than the Ministry of Education – private schools are not under direct government supervision.

In Abu Dhabi, 15 different curriculums are offered to students: American, British, Canadian, French, Bangladeshi, German, International Bac (IB), Indian, Iranian, Italian, Japanese, MoE (Ministry of Education), Pakistani, Filipino, and Sabis. A list of Abu Dhabi schools, as well as detailed information, can be .

Meanwhile in Dubai, there are . These are some of the top private primary/secondary international schools offering various international curriculums:

• Repton School
• King’s School, Al Barsha
• King’s School, Dubai
• Horizon English School Dubai
• Dubai College
• Dubai English Speaking School
• Jumeirah English Speaking School
• Dubai British School
• GEMS Wellington International School
• GEMS Dubai Academy

Many of these schools offer rolling admission to allow expat families and families who are in UAE for short periods of time some flexibility in enrolling their children. Students at various schools graduate at different times (e.g., secondary school may end in Grade 10 but in many international schools, two more years are necessary to graduate as per their international curriculum).

Tertiary education: UAE ranks in the world’s top 30 education systems both for primary and higher education, making it a fruitful recruiting ground for foreign educators offering undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programmes.

UAE is also a major host of branch campuses and transnational education in general. For example, UAE is the now the top country for .

The Dubai emirate hosts the University of Dubai as well as 26 international branch campuses of universities from 12 different countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada. A list of those universities can be found .

The CAA is the accreditation agency of the UAE and provides on top tertiary institutions in the country.

A list of higher education institutions in Abu Dhabi can be found . For STEM programmes, the Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KU) is a top 200 QS world university with an intensive research focus on applied science and engineering.

UniversityGuru.com provides this handy infographic which universities fare the best in major subject areas according to rankings such as the Shanghai, THE, and QS.

There are also high-quality in UAE. (CERT) is the most notable of these but the following are also worth exploring:

• National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE)
• ADNOC Technical Institute (ATI)
• Petroleum Institute (PI)
• Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government
• Emirates Aviation University
• Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
• Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI)

Study abroad

The high volume of students enrolled at international schools in UAE creates a major market opportunity for foreign universities and colleges. The reports: “By some accounts, more than 90% of students at international schools intend to study overseas after graduation, so this trend will most likely accelerate tertiary mobility.”

Top destinations for Emirati students are the UK (6,015 in 2019/20), India (2,307 in 2019), and the US (1,737 in 2020/21, with most studying at the undergraduate level).

Canada and European countries are also becoming more popular for students looking for more affordable programmes than they might find in the US or UK. Vandana Mahajan, the founder of educational agency Futures Abroad, explained to UAE’s that:

“Last year we sent over 200 students to Canada from the UAE and I’m seeing a large increase from last year to this year. The recruitment season is ongoing, but we anticipate to send more than 500 students to Canada this year. The Co-op work programme is very popular and originated from Canadian universities and colleges, which means students do alternate semesters of study and work.”

The UK should see its number rise next year, as close to 3,000 UAE students applied to UK universities in 2022.

Programmes for which there will be increasing demand over the next few years will be associated with UAE’s target of being the world’s top tourist destination. These include:

• Hospitality and tourism (including eco-tourism and sports tourism)
• Event management
• Marketing and business administration
• Food-related fields
• Construction and engineering
• Aviation
• Information technology
• Digital technologies and social media marketing
• Human resource management
• And

Scholarships

Canada and the US can anticipate hosting more UAE students given the new scholarship programme aimed at sending 6,000 students to North America by 2028. The Khotwa (RizeUp) scholarship programme, with funding of US$520 million, pays for students’ entire degree programmes, including homestay accommodation and up to a year of English-language study.

Most MENA scholarships tend to send students to top-ranked universities, but the Khowta programme is less exclusive. It relies on a 2+2 model, where students begin their academic studies at a designated community college in either Canada or the US, then transfer to an affiliated university to complete their degrees. The initial set of participating colleges were reportedly selected on the basis that they (a) operate their own English-language programmes, (b) are partnered with degree-granting universities, and (c) offer homestay accommodation for visiting students.

To be eligible for a Khotwa scholarship, Emirati students must have an average of 65% or above in their final year of secondary studies, and an IELTS score of 3.0 or better. The first 170 Khotwa-funded students will begin their studies in the US and Canada in January 2023.

There are a number of other UAE scholarships to fund Emirati students abroad, including those offered by the , the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the Department of Education and Knowledge, and the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) offers scholarships to top Emirati students pursuing engineering or science, while is for students pursuing telecommunications and information technology (e.g., computer engineering, electronic engineering and computer science). More government-funded scholarships can be found .

Many universities in the UAE offer scholarships for students as well through joint agreements between the UAE government and other countries. Information about these is best obtained by contacting staff at individual institutions.

Inbound students: UAE, especially Dubai, is becoming an education hub specialising in Western-modelled instruction as well as an exporter of students to other countries. In fact, UAE is the top host of Indian students. As many as 219,000 Indian students were enrolled in UAE higher education institutions as of July 2021, making it even more popular than Canada, US, the UK, and other countries. Over the past couple of years, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s Vice-President and Prime Minister, has for students as well as a permission for students to bring their relatives with them to the country as added incentives for foreign students to choose UAE.

Advice from the experts: Please enjoy this excellent hosted recently by șÚÁÏčÙÍű. On the panel were guests with immense experience in Middle Eastern markets:

• Marie-Claude Svaldi, VP of government relations and recruitment EMEA, ELS Education Services
• Craig Hastings, Division Adviser, Abu Dhabi Scholarships, Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)
• Sarah Crowther, President, Collective Study

For additional background, please see:

• “UAE sets new tone for scholarship programmes in the Persian Gulf”
• “Scholarships, modernisation, and student mobility: Recruiting in Saudi Arabia now”

The post Recruiting in the Emirates: Big goals, world-class education, and new scholarships appeared first on șÚÁÏčÙÍű Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

was announced in September 2022 and will be administered by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). The AED1.9 billion (US$520 million) programme is targeted to students from a variety of academic and social backgrounds “to enable them to achieve their full potential and contribute to the growth of Abu Dhabi’s knowledge-based economy.”

Khotwa scholarships will provide full funding for participating Emirati students for their entire degree programmes, including homestay accommodation and up to a year of English language study.

The programme relies on a 2+2 model, through which students will begin their academic studies , and then transfer to an affiliated university to complete their degrees. The initial set of participating colleges were reportedly selected on the basis that they (a) operate their own English language programmes, (b) are partnered with degree-granting universities, and (c) offer homestay accommodations for visiting students.

In order to be eligible for a Khotwa scholarship, Emirati students must have an average of 65% or above in their final year of secondary studies, and an IELTS score of 3.0 or better. The first 170 Khotwa-funded students will begin their studies in the US and Canada in January 2023.

Where it fits

The programme stands in contrast to other scholarship initiatives in the region, some of which have sharpened their focus on top-scoring students and elite institutions in recent years. And as such it reflects a growing awareness among policy makers in the region that only a relatively small percentage of prospective students will be served by that focus on top-ranked institutions abroad.

Governments throughout the region, meanwhile, remain committed to as well as the and are working to align scholarship programmes with those larger societal goals, including improving gender equity, reducing societal inequalities, and targeting fields of study to priority areas of industry demand.

Commenting on the Khotwa launch, Her Excellency Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education and Chairperson of ADEK, said:

“This landmark programme is a strategic investment by Abu Dhabi Government to continue nurturing future-ready Emirati bachelor’s degree holders. Khotwa (RizeUp) will empower students who have not benefitted from our previous scholarships to study at international colleges and universities and graduate as highly competent, effective and productive citizens capable to enrich our national employment pool and play an active role in driving forward our knowledge-based economy.”

“Building on the success of employment rates exceeding 90% among ADEK’s scholarship graduates, we recognise the potential in providing opportunities. Consequently, we have expanded the scholarship matrix to include specific academic specializations – selected in close cooperation with government, national, and private entities – that will further enhance our graduate scholars’ employability.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Updated Saudi scholarship programme will send 70,000 students abroad by 2030“

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This statement opens an important new study from the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE), and it kicks off a wide-ranging survey of the scale and shape of online learning in key markets around the world.

In Whatever Happened to the Promise of Online Learning? The State of Global Online Higher Education, the OBHE sets out case studies for 12 selected countries and regions, and finds widely varying rates of adoption and experiences of online learning across this sample:

• China
• Egypt
• England and Scotland
• India
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa)
• United Arab Emirates
• United State of America

The study places these markets into one of five descriptive categories as follows:

• “Distance, Not Online.” These markets have a large distance learning sector but one that makes little use of of online learning (e.g. Egypt, India).
• “Online Learning as Marginal.” These education systems are characterised by strong growth in enrolment on campus, but with very modest use of online learning (e.g. Saudi Arabia, UAE and Sub-Saharan Africa).
• “Blurred Growth.” The OBHE considers that these countries have a muddled online learning context, with elements of distance learning, that nevertheless is growing more quickly than conventional delivery modes (e.g. Mexico, Spain).
• “Clear Online Growth.” As distinct from “Blurred Growth” markets, these countries feature a clearly defined online learning sector that is growing more quickly than campus-based programming (e.g. United States).
• “Peaked/Decline.” Countries belonging to this final group have seen their online enrolment flatten or even decline in recent years (e.g. England, South Korea).

Keeping those broad categorisations in mind, the following chart provides a summary of the market share of online learning, and recent growth trends, for the 12 case study countries and regions.

Estimated share of fully online, blended, and other distance students in domestic higher education, with recent-year growth trends illustrated, for case study markets, 2016. Source: OBHE

One of the questions that the study aims to explore is why online learning has grown in some markets, but not in others. In the two markets where online and distance learning are more established – the US and China – the OBHE sees some common factors at work. This essentially boils down to a systemic commitment to online learning as a means of serving student populations that might otherwise have difficulty accessing higher education, whether because of geography, affordability, or lifestyle factors (i.e., family or career commitments).

“It is striking that online learning is the subject of so much hype and speculation around the world but there is so little objective, comparative analysis of how the delivery mode is actually playing out in different countries,” said report author and OBHE Director Richard Garrett. “Our hope is that this report – and the supporting case studies – help address this gap.”

The connection to international mobility

Of particular relevance to international recruiters, the study also considers the extent of online provision across borders – that is, the scale of “virtual international mobility” where students pursue online programmes offered by an institution overseas.

“[One] strand of dotcom-era enthusiasm for online learning was the notion that the technology would disrupt national higher education systems, prompting large virtual student flows across country borders,” says the study report. “Champions foresaw in online learning a way to dramatically increase access to high quality programming, addressing absolute capacity limitations in some countries and quality or cost restrictions in others.”

Even acknowledging that data on cross-border enrolments is limited in many markets, the OBHE finds little evidence of growth in this area. Looking back over a decade or more, total growth in international mobility has been significant, and the volume and variety of transnational education has also expanded considerably via more conventional modes such as international branch campuses and joint or dual degree programmes.

In the following chart, we see this pattern playing out through the examples of Australia, the UK, and the US as it tracks the volume of higher education provision for inbound cross-border students, those enrolled in campus-based TNE initiatives, and those following distance or online programmes that reach across borders. The overall growth rate since 2009 is also shown for each delivery mode.

International student enrolment for 2016 in Australia, the UK, and the US by mode of delivery. Source: OBHE

In the final analysis, the report anticipates a continued variability by market going forward in terms of the pace of adoption and nature of online learning provision. The OBHE projects continued growth in the sector, buoyed in large part by the strong underlying global demand for higher education. Its view of the sector’s outlook, however, is more tempered than the revolutionary forecasts offered in the past by other observers.

“For many institutions and students, a blend of online and in-person study may be the best way forward,” notes the report. “Blended learning means that online learning complements rather than competes with the traditional campus, supports learners, faculty and staff where they live (in urban areas at least), and affords creative combinations of individualised and group, online and in-person learning. This vision of online higher education aligns online and campus development. Until online learning can embody at scale the best of one-to-one and small group interaction, most students will need more than online alone.”

For additional background, please see:

• “The continuing expansion of online learning in the US”
• “Major MOOC providers shifting focus to fee-paying students”
• “How language schools are integrating online with traditional delivery”
• “Online learning still expected to pressure traditional higher education models”

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The news comes as the UAE works to lessen its reliance on the oil and gas sector and to move the country further along its path to .

More branch campuses expected

The UAE has for years been aiming to be an education hub in the region and indeed, it hosts the second-highest number of university branch campuses in the world after only . Mohammad Abdullah, managing director of the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and the Dubai Knowledge Park, said that the expectation is for still more branch campuses to set up in the region. He cautions, however, that universities applying to start branches in DIAC will be carefully assessed and that a rigorous selection process will be applied.

Dubai is home to more than 200 nationalities today and 90% of the city’s population comes from abroad, which is one reason that international branch campuses are such a natural fit. Speaking with Gulf News, Dr Warren Fox, chief of higher education for the UAE’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority, noted that over 40% of Dubai’s 30,000 international students are enrolled at branch campuses operated by some of the top universities in the world.

Of the UAE’s new student visa rules, Mr Fox said,

“We are expecting significant growth in the number of students coming to study in UAE. This decision will not just benefit UAE economy, but also help higher education institutions and students. It is a win-win situation for everyone as you can now complete your education and explore future prospects.”

New visa allowances will facilitate employment

The UAE is not alone in extending visa rights and work periods for foreign students. The country joins Canada, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, and China in introducing policies that make it easier for international students to study, work, and sometimes immigrate.

Such measures are aimed at attracting students who increasingly expect their education to lead directly to desired career outcomes. A British Council report noted that,

“International student mobility patterns are evolving based on increased education provision globally and students’ inclination towards programmes with tangible employability outcomes.”

Mr Abdullah (cited earlier), said the visa extension announcement for international students will inspire new strategies at DIAC to help students progress toward careers: “We are looking to work even more towards tying different industries to academic institutions.”

Already competitive

The UAE is already known for its well-considered international education strategies. Last year, the British Council published its Shape of Global Higher Education report based on an analysis of international higher education policies across 38 countries. #2 for quality assurance and degree recognition, and # 5 for openness and mobility.

Sally Ward, regional manager, higher education for the British Council, said, “It is really impressive, actually, for such a small country. They have made this very conscious decision to be open, to make this an area of focus, to promote the UAE as a destination of choice, to provide a wide variety of universities and courses and to find ways to encourage students to come to a stable community where they know they are going to get a high-quality education.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Dubai strengthens its position as a regional education hub”
• “China now the leading host for international branch campuses”
• “UAE leads the world in English-medium international school enrolments”

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And no wonder. Dubai is home to more than 200 nationalities today, and 90% of the city’s population comes from abroad. Roughly two-thirds of the world’s population is within an eight-hour flight, and the city is widely recognised for its outstanding transportation and communications infrastructure. US News & World Report recently ranked the UAE as one of the best countries in the world in which to begin a career, as “one of the Gulf’s most liberal countries”, and as the safest Arab-majority country.

Booming school population

As we reported last year, the UAE is the leading country in the world in terms of the number of students attending English-medium K-12 international schools. Recent International School Consultancy (ISC) research indicates that there are more than 550 English-medium K-12 international schools across the UAE, with nearly half of those in Dubai. There are roughly 550,000 students aged between 3 and 18 in English-medium international schools in the UAE – the highest enrolment of any country in the world by a significant margin.

A new report from the UAE’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) offers a more detailed look at . It counts 185 private schools in Dubai with a combined enrolment of just under 274,000 students.

As of the 2016/17 school year, the sector is close to capacity (about 90% utilisation currently), and total spending on private school tuition fees amounts to 6.8 billion AED (US$1.85 billion) annually.

Only about 12% of the students in private schools in Dubai are native Emiratis. In contrast, Indian students, the largest single nationality in Dubai schools, make up just over a third (34%) of the total enrolment. Pakistan, Egypt, and the UK are also well represented.

Leading nationalities in private K-12 schools in Dubai, 2016/17. Source: KHDA

Overall, the number of private schools in Dubai has nearly doubled in the past decade, and enrolment has kept pace with overall growth of 89% over the last ten years. Looking ahead, KHDA forecasts another 120 schools will open their doors in the coming decade, and projects that total enrolment in the city’s private schools will reach 470,000 over the same period.

Bright outlook for higher education

The burgeoning population of non-Emirati students in Dubai schools means the city is also growing in importance as a recruiting ground for third-country nationals planning to go on further education abroad.

But Dubai is also aggressively , both by expanding the footprint of domestic institutions and by welcoming branch campuses operated by foreign institutions. Universities from 12 different exporting markets currently operate campuses in designated higher education “free zones” in Dubai, including those from the UK, US, Australia, India, Austria, and Russia.

Considering both international branch campuses and local institutions, there are now 62 higher education providers in Dubai. Those institutions had a combined enrolment of 60,300 students in 2016, including 33,600 foreign nationals.

The number of higher education institutions operating in the city began to expand rapidly around 2003, the year in which the first of Dubai’s free zones for education were established. Also setting the stage for more rapid enrolment growth within the past decade, the KHDA and University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAID) were established – in 2007 and 2008 respectively – in order to provide greater oversight and quality assurance for higher education in the Emirates.

As the following chart reflects, 39 of Dubai’s 62 HEIs are now located within the free zones, including 24 international branch campuses.

Higher education provider growth in Dubai, 1986–2017. Source: KHDA

Keeping pace with this significant increase in the number of university seats, total higher education enrolment in Dubai has grown by nearly 65% since 2008, with overall foreign enrolment across the UAE growing even more quickly. UNESCO reports that the number of foreign students in the Emirates grew from about 48,600 in 2011 to nearly 74,000 in 2015 – a total increase of 51% in just five years.

Speaking at the recent International and Private Schools Education Forum () in Dubai, Dr Warren Fox, the KHDA’s chief of higher education, said, “Dubai has shown to the world it can become a leading global business hub, and is leveraging this success to attract international students to come to the Emirate to pursue higher education studies here. This reputation as a world-class commercial and trading centre is one of the top reasons why international students are coming to Dubai.”

For additional background, please see:

‱ “UAE leads the world in English-medium international school enrolments”
‱ “Using social media to reach students in the Middle East and North Africa”
‱ “English skills a key for mobility and employment in the Middle East and North Africa”

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