The UAE has introduced a Federal Decree Law on Higher Education and Scientific Research to establish a comprehensive legislative framework for the sector.
The law regulates higher education and scientific research, strengthens governance of higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
The legislation seeks to enhance the quality and competitiveness of higher education to align outcomes with labour market requirements and support lifelong learning for graduates.
New UAE higher education law establishes framework for institutions across emirates
The provisions apply to all higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions across the UAE, including the free zones.
The Decree Law affirms integration of the higher education system with the education system within a future-oriented vision. It defines the stages of higher education in alignment with the levels of the National Qualifications Framework.
Institutions must develop programmes characterised by innovation, flexibility, and approaches that keep pace with developments and meet labour market needs.
The Decree Law regulates the frameworks governing higher education and scientific research. These include the framework for licensing higher education institutions, the qualifications framework, the framework for classification, quality performance, and oversight, the framework for scientific research in higher education institutions, and the framework for technical and vocational education and training.
Local authorities can issue complementary frameworks, provided they do not conflict with requirements.
UAE higher education decree law sets licensing requirements for all institutions
The Decree Law sets out rules for licensing higher education institutions. It prohibits the establishment or operation of any institution, or the provision or promotion of programmes and services, without obtaining licensure from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Requirements include the provision of guarantees, fulfilment of local permits, and compliance with health, safety, and security standards. The law regulates the validity and renewal of licences, grace periods, and measures resulting from non-compliance. It defines controls governing the transfer or cancellation of licences while ensuring measures to safeguard the status of enrolled students.
The Decree Law regulates programme accreditation. Higher education institutions cannot offer, promote, advertise, admit students, or commence studies in any programme before obtaining accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The legislation specifies the validity period of accreditation, evaluation procedures, and renewal processes.
It allows for the accreditation of programmes that have received international accreditations without requiring a re-accreditation process or fees, provided that the institution holds a licence in the UAE, the international accreditation body is reputable and accredited by the Ministry, and the body’s standards are no lower than the standards.
All licensed higher education institutions in the UAE are subject to classification and evaluation processes conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Ministry shall publish the results of the classifications and make them available after approval by the Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council and approval by the UAE Cabinet.
The Decree Law establishes obligations for higher education institutions. These include obtaining approval from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the local authority, in some cases, before implementing changes, adding facilities such as colleges, institutes, and centres, closing units, or making modifications to programmes.
The decree mandates that institutions offering e-learning or blended learning programmes implement quality assurance standards in accordance with frameworks and subject their programmes to accreditation to ensure the effectiveness of outcomes.
They must adopt teaching methods that consider the characteristics of online education, guarantee data protection and intellectual property rights, and promote interaction and participation between students and faculty members.
The Decree Law includes provisions for higher education institutions in free zones. These institutions are required to obtain authorisation from the local authority and licensing from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to operate. The Ministry grants the licence to institutions holding local authorisation without requiring them to repeat the procedures or pay fees.
The Decree Law stipulates that technical and vocational education and training institutions obtain approval from the local authority and accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research before offering any programmes culminating in qualifications placed within the National Qualifications Framework.
