The new law introduces a unified national framework governing all higher education institutions across the country and marks a shift away from process-based regulation
Protecting students from unaccredited degrees and aligning university programmes with labour market needs are central goals of the UAE’s new higher education law, ministry officials said during a dialogue session with universities outlining how the legislation will be implemented from January 2026.
The new law introduces a unified national framework governing all higher education institutions across the country — including those operating in free zones — and marks a shift away from process-based regulation. Rather than focusing on procedures and paperwork, universities will now be evaluated based on outcomes such as graduate employability, programme quality, and data-driven performance indicators.
“In the past, evaluation focused on procedures and processes,” said Ibrahim Fikri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. “Today, I no longer focus on processes. What really creates a difference is the outputs of the educational institution.”
Under the new framework, universities will be assessed on how their graduates perform in the job market, rather than relying on traditional classification systems. “I focus on evaluating any educational institution through its graduates,” Fikri said. “How many students are working in the job market, and how this reflects on the institution’s standing. This moves us away from classic classifications that were based mainly on procedures.”
The ministry also plans to launch initiatives during 2026 aimed at helping students make more informed choices about specialisations and career pathways, linking academic programmes more closely to labour market demand. “This will be a link between new students joining universities and the universities themselves — helping them choose the appropriate specialisation and the appropriate job at the same time,” he said.
A cornerstone of the new law is mandatory data integration between universities and the ministry through a central digital infrastructure, building on the ministry’s Master API project launched in 2025.
Universities will be required to share extensive academic and administrative data, including programme details, student numbers, faculty information, academic performance and graduation outcomes.
“I need a clear picture of what is happening in the educational environment in the country so decision-makers can act with full visibility,” Fikri said, noting that previously data was often submitted manually and inconsistently. “Some institutions had updated data, others were four or five months behind. With today’s advanced infrastructure, this is no longer acceptable.”
The integrated data pool will be used not only for licensing and accreditation decisions, but also for strategic planning, performance evaluation and regulatory oversight across the higher education sector.
The law also tightens controls on programme approvals, particularly in response to cases where institutions announced or offered programmes without proper authorisation. “One of the most important priorities is that every institution must obtain initial approval from the ministry,” Fikri said. “We faced challenges with institutions announcing unauthorised programmes. This deceives students, who pay and later discover their certificate is not reliable.”
Such practices, he added, also damage the reputation of the UAE’s education system. “The UAE is one of the most advanced countries across global indicators. We cannot leave higher education in a grey area.” All academic advertising will now require ministry approval, and programme accreditation will be issued through official documentation specifying its validity period.
Addressing questions around online education, Prof Amjad Qandil, acting director of the Commission of Academic Accreditation for Higher Education, said the law treats online and in-person programmes as distinct accreditations. “If an institution wants to convert a programme from face-to-face to online, this is considered a new accreditation, not a modification.”
He also clarified that programmes requiring hands-on training — such as engineering, medical and health sciences — cannot be offered fully online in the UAE. “Any programme that requires practical application is not allowed to be online,” he noted, adding that each programme is evaluated individually to determine which components, if any, may be delivered remotely.
Universities welcomed the shift towards outcome-based evaluation but acknowledged operational challenges during the one-year grace period for implementation. Prof Nazih Khaddaj Mallat, Vice President of Accreditation and Quality Assurance at Al Ain University, said the new framework aligns with work already underway at the institution. “The most important KPI is how ready our graduates are for labour market needs,” he said.
Al Ain University is also working to integrate artificial intelligence across its academic programmes, with at least two AI-related courses introduced in each programme. “The challenge is not adding a course — it’s who will teach it,” Mallat said. “Capacity building for faculty and even senior management is critical, especially as our students are already very advanced when it comes to AI.”
He also flagged ethical use of AI as a potential compliance risk. “Students use AI very easily, but the ethics of using AI is something universities must take seriously.”
The law took effect on January 1, 2026, with institutions granted a one-year grace period to comply with data linkage and regulatory requirements. Licensing will become a continuous process, with institutions required to submit renewal applications within specified timelines or risk penalties, including licence cancellation. Cabinet-approved regulations detailing enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance are expected to follow.
© Khaleej Times
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