- Having reviewed Federal Decree-Law No. (28) of 2024, amending certain provisions of Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 regarding the competencies of ministries and the powers of ministers,
- And Federal Decree-Law No. (48) of 2021, regarding higher education,
- And Federal Decree-Law No. (42) of 2024 regarding the establishment and organization of the Education, Human and Community Development Council,
- And Federal Decree-Law No. (49) of 2022, regarding human resources in the Federal Government,
- And Cabinet Resolution No. (48) of 2023 regarding the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. (49) of 2022 on Human Resources in the Federal Government,
- And the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Resolution No. (93) of 2010 regarding the conditions for the equivalency of certificates for students studying abroad,
- And the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Resolution No. (34) of 2025 regarding the system for recognizing higher education qualifications from outside the country,
- And based on the proposal of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the requirements of the public interest.
Has decided the following:
Article (1) Definitions
For the purposes of implementing the provisions of this Resolution, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context otherwise requires:
The State: The United Arab Emirates.
The Minister: The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The Ministry: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The Council: The Education, Human and Community Development Council.
Citizen Student: A person holding the nationality of the United Arab Emirates who studies at their own expense or is granted a scholarship to study abroad to obtain an academic or professional qualification.
Sponsoring Body: The entity that sends the citizen student and bears the costs of their studies abroad.
Article (2) Objectives
These regulations aim to govern the higher education of citizen students abroad and to regulate the use of the qualifications they obtain for the purposes of appointment, promotions, obtaining study leave, examination leave, thesis defense leave, or other benefits associated with the qualification in the federal government sector.
Article (3) Obligations of the Citizen Student and Sponsoring Bodies
First: A citizen student wishing to enroll in a higher education institution abroad, whether at their own expense or at the expense of a sponsoring body, must commit to studying at a higher education institution that meets one of the following conditions:
a. It must be among the top 50 universities for the intended major (regardless of the overall ranking or country of study) according to the global rankings approved by the Ministry.
b. Or it must be among the top 100 universities for the intended major and among the top 100 universities in the overall ranking according to the global rankings approved by the Ministry, in the case of studying in America, Australia, or Britain,
c. Or it must be among the top 200 universities for the intended major and among the top 200 universities in the overall ranking according to the global rankings approved by the Ministry, in the case of studying in any English-speaking scholarship country other than America, Australia, and Britain,
d. Or it must be among the top 300 universities for the intended major and among the top 300 universities in the overall ranking according to the global rankings approved by the Ministry, in the case of studying in any non-English-speaking scholarship country.
Second: The Council has the right to exclude any higher education institution that meets the conditions for studying abroad, based on reasons and justifications it deems appropriate.
Article (4) Violation of the Resolution
Failure by the citizen student or the sponsoring body to comply with the provisions of this Resolution will result in the non-recognition of the qualification obtained by the citizen student. This qualification will not be considered for the purposes of appointment, promotion, obtaining study leave, examination leave, thesis defense leave, or qualification-related benefits in the federal government sector of the State.
Article (5) Rectification of Status
Citizen students studying abroad, whether at their own expense or at the expense of a sponsoring body, are granted a period of one year from the date this Resolution comes into effect to rectify their status.
Article (6) Exceptions
A committee shall be formed by a decision of the Chairman of the Education, Human and Community Development Council, including in its membership representatives from selected sponsoring bodies in the State. The decision will specify the committee's working mechanism. The committee will be responsible for considering cases for exemption from the provisions of this Resolution, based on special considerations related to the sponsoring body, the scholarship country, the higher education institution, the type of specialization, the student, or other justified reasons. It will submit its recommendation, including the reasons and justifications, to the Chairman of the Council, who will issue a decision on whether to grant the exemption.
Article (7) Publication and Entry into Force
This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force three months after the date of its publication.