You may recognise their names

Dubai is raising the bar yet again, but this time in education. The city is set to welcome three prestigious international university campuses during the 2025-26 academic year, further cementing its reputation as a global education hub.

Announced by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the new arrivals include some serious heavyweights in higher education:

  • Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, currently ranked 27th globally for Business and Management in the QS World University Rankings by subject.

  • American University of Beirut (AUB), ranked 237th globally

  • Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences from Saudi Arabia, known for programmes in health and medicine.

And that’s not all, KHDA says several more top universities are in talks to open campuses in Dubai, with approvals currently in the pipeline.

Dubai is already home to 41 private higher education institutions, including 37 international branch campuses. Many of these names are no strangers to top rankings. The University of Manchester Dubai and University of Birmingham Dubai both have parent campuses ranked in the global top 100, while Curtin University Dubai and University of Wollongong in Dubai sit comfortably in the top 200.

Dubai’s global university attraction project is aiming high: by 2033, the city wants international students to make up 50% of the higher ed population and contribute a whopping Dhs5.6 billion to GDP. The goal? Make Dubai one of the top 10 cities in the world for university education.

And it seems to be working. The 2024-25 academic year saw a 20% jump in overall student enrolment, and a 29% surge in international students. Right now, there are more than 42,000 students studying across Dubai’s private higher education sector—its highest number ever.

With over 700 academic programmes on offer across key future industries, it’s clear Dubai is not just attracting universities—it’s shaping the future of education itself.

If you haven’t been to university in Dubai, or the UAE, you’ll need to get your degree attested. It’s now an easier process as the UAE introduced a new policy for recognising foreign degrees.

Image: Archive