UAE national students abroad urged to verify university standards amid new regulations

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has stated that any UAE national currently studying at a foreign university and uncertain whether their institution meets the newly established standards must take appropriate action within the designated grace period. This directive follows Cabinet Resolution No. (5) of 2025, issued by the Council for Education, Human Development, and Society. The resolution aims to regulate and monitor higher education pursuits of UAE students abroad and grants current students a one-year window from the effective date of the resolution to regularize their academic status.

In a statement published on its official website, the Ministry advised:

“During this grace period, students must review the classification of their current university and verify its compliance with the Ministry’s requirements regarding either the institution or the academic program. The approved list of recognized programs and universities is available on the Ministry’s website.”

The Ministry continued: “If a student discovers that their university does not meet the required standards, they should proactively search for an alternative institution that meets the approved rankings. Many universities accept transfer students mid-program, especially if the new institution has a higher classification.”

The Ministry further clarified: “If a student is unable to transfer to another university due to specific circumstances, they may submit a formal exemption request. This request must include a detailed explanation of the situation, along with all relevant supporting documents. The Ministry will forward the application to the Exceptions Committee, which will assess each case individually and determine whether the student may be granted an exemption that allows them to continue their studies and have their degree recognized, even if the university does not meet the approved standards.”

The Ministry emphasized the urgency of taking prompt action—either to align with the new regulations or to secure an exemption (if eligible)—to avoid the risk of having one’s degree unrecognized upon graduation.

4 key conditions for recognizing academic qualifications earned abroad

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has outlined four main conditions for the recognition of academic degrees obtained outside the UAE. Meeting at least one of these criteria is mandatory to ensure qualification recognition.

These new mandatory standards and controls were introduced to ensure the quality of higher education received abroad by UAE nationals, to safeguard their academic and professional futures, to enhance the outcomes of government-funded international scholarships, and to encourage students to strengthen their academic performance and return to contribute to the nation after earning reputable degrees.

According to the Ministry’s official website, any UAE national seeking to enroll at a foreign higher education institution—whether self-funded or sponsored by a scholarship body—must study at an institution that is listed in the internationally recognized rankings.

University ranking requirements in the US and Australia

The Ministry specified the following criteria based on university rankings:

The Ministry clarified that these ranking thresholds—Top 100 for the U.S. and Australia, and Top 200 for other countries—were set to prevent overconcentration of students in a limited number of countries and to encourage cultural and educational diversity. Importantly, the classification used will be the ranking at the time the student begins their program; subsequent changes in ranking will not affect the recognition of the degree.

Failure by the student or their sponsoring entity to comply with these provisions will result in non-recognition of the academic qualification, which in turn will disqualify the holder from using the degree for employment, promotions, study leaves, examinations, thesis defenses, or benefiting from qualification-based incentives within the UAE federal government sector.

The Ministry acknowledged that certain exceptional cases may require flexibility.

It stated that such cases will be reviewed carefully and may involve special considerations such as the sponsoring authority, the country of study, the field of specialization, the student’s personal circumstances, or other justified reasons.

According to Article (6), sponsoring entities may submit bulk exemption requests covering multiple programs and universities that do not meet the standard requirements, rather than filing individual cases. Students may also submit an individual exemption request via the Ministry’s website, which will be reviewed by the designated Exceptions Committee.