The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has boosted funding for its government scholarship recipients by 50 percent, part of a broader overhaul tied to national development priorities.
The revised framework updates eight categories of financial support, a change the Ministry said is meant to strengthen the competitiveness of Emirati talent and match the country’s long-term ambitions. Officials described the goal as building a unified government scholarship programme capable of setting eligibility and admission standards, selecting universities and fields of study according to national priorities, matching specializations to labor market needs, tracking academic performance, and reinforcing vital economic sectors.
The scholarships fund bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies at leading global universities, and qualifying for one requires satisfying 13 general conditions. Applicants must hold UAE citizenship, meet every requirement attached to their chosen degree, and secure academic acceptance from a university and program the Ministry recognizes. Their intended field must fall within priority areas, and they must clear a personal interview along with the required competency and skills assessments.
Prior academic credentials have to be authenticated by the appropriate bodies and the Ministry of Education, and candidates must agree to study full-time and on-campus overseas. Male applicants are required to submit documentation covering exemption from, postponement of, or completion of national service. Each candidate must also sign a declaration accepting the scholarship and study-aid rules, plus any further terms the Ministry sets once approval is finalized.
Eligibility carries additional restrictions. Applicants cannot already hold a full scholarship or grant from any body, whether inside the country or abroad. Nor can they have previously received funding for a degree at the same or a lower level, or have had a Ministry- or third-party-sponsored scholarship revoked for any reason.
The Ministry pointed to seven economic sectors it considers priorities: technology and engineering, energy, the creative industries, water and environment, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and finance.
