Planning to study in the United Arab Emirates? You’d be glad to know that there are some government and university scholarships available to help you study with the most reputable institutions.
Depending on your university of choice, you can have the chance to study among the seven states of UAE: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. If you’re interested in studying at top universities in the Gulf region, here are five scholarships in UAE for international students.
Top Scholarships in the United Arab Emirates for International Students
1. United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Full-tuition waiver, monthly living expenses of AED 7,500
- Eligible Degree/s: Ph.D. (up to 4 years)
The scholarship at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the best in UAE for international students and is awarded to Ph.D. students with a GPA of 3.3 or better and enrolled in a full-time degree with a minimum of nine credits per semester. To be eligible for the scholarship, you must have a 3.5 or better GPA in the master’s degree program and have an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher. If granted the scholarship, you are given a full-tuition waiver, monthly living expenses of AED 7,500, housing or housing allowance if living outside, health insurance, and research funds.
To apply for the scholarship, complete the application form along with a copy of your CV with related publications, a copy of school transcripts for your bachelor’s and master’s, study plan, research proposal, statement of research interest, and a motivation letter.
2. Al Qasimi Foundation’s Doctoral Research Grants
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Expenses on field research, airfare costs, furnished housing for one year, a monthly stipend for living expenses, and research support.
- Eligible Degree/s: Ph.D.
The Al Qasimi Foundation’s Doctoral Research Grants are for international Ph.D. students studying in UAE or abroad in the research phase of the dissertation. The grant is given based on academic performance and research proposal. Eligible candidates must be current Ph.D. students at an accredited university and have a TOEFL iBT score of 85 or higher, or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher. Moreover, you must have a Ph.D. coursework completed and a research proposal approved by an advisor that focuses on the UAE. The research proposal should be focused on education, public policies, or subjects on social science.
If granted this UAE scholarship, it will cover your expenses on field research, airfare costs, furnished housing for one year, a monthly stipend for living expenses, and research support. To apply for the scholarship, submit an online application form with other documents such as a two-page essay, CV or resume, current school transcripts, TOEFL or IELTS report, copy of approved research proposal, and two letters of reference.
3. Khalifa University Graduate Scholarships
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Tuition fee waiver, health insurance, research support, airfare costs, monthly stipend
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s, Ph.D.
Khalifa University of Science and Technology has several scholarships for international students. For instance, the Master Research Teaching Scholarship (MRTS) grants a full-tuition waiver to international students pursuing a master’s degree program. It also includes other benefits like health insurance, international research conference support, airfare expenses, and a monthly stipend of AED 4,000 for living expenses.
International doctoral students can apply for a Doctoral Research Teaching Scholarship (DRTS). This scholarship in the United Arab Emirates covers the full tuition fees, health insurance, international research conference support, airfare expenses, and a monthly stipend of AED 12,000 for living expenses. Plus, it also offers free university housing or a monthly housing allowance of AED 2,000.
If you are pursuing both master’s and doctoral programs, the Combined Master/Doctoral Research Teaching Scholarship (CMDRTS) can be applied. The CMDRTS scholarship covers the same benefits as the DRTS, but the monthly stipend is AED 8,000 during master’s studies and AED 12,000 during Ph.D. studies.
4. UAEU Undergraduate Scholarships
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Partial or full-tuition waiver
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s
International students can receive a full-tuition scholarship provided their Grade 12 score is at least 97%, have a Math SAT Subject Test (level 2) score of 680 or higher, and an IELTS score of 7. Once granted this scholarship in UAE, you must maintain a GPA of at least 3.8 out of 4 and complete a minimum of 15 credit hours for each semester. Partial tuition is granted if the Grade 12 score is 90%, with an IELTS score of 6.5, and a Math SAT Subject Test (level 2) score of at least 630. To maintain the scholarship, you need to maintain a GPA of at least 3.6 out of 4 and complete a minimum of 15 credit hours for each semester.
To apply for a scholarship at UAEU, enroll in a bachelor’s program first through their online application platform and submit the required documents.
5. Khalifa University Undergraduate Scholarships
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Full, partial
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s
Khalifa University offers The President’s Scholarship for outstanding international students who demonstrate academic excellence. Eligible applicants for this scholarship in UAE need to have full admission with an EMSAT English minimum score of 1400 and 1250 for EMSAT Math. Moreover, you must maintain a CGPA of 3.3 or higher. A CGPA of 3.3 grants a 100% tuition waiver, 3.0 –3.29 for a 75% tuition waiver, and 2.0 – 2.99 for a 50% tuition waiver. A CGPA lower than 2.0 will not be offered a scholarship.
Students with a CGPA is 3.0 or higher during their studies at Khalifa University can be given a Khalifa University Scholarship, which is also known as a Partial Scholarship. To qualify for a Partial Scholarship, you need to meet a full admission status and have an EMSTA English score of 1400 and an EMSAT Math score of 1250. A CGPA of 3.0 grants a 50% tuition waiver, 2.5 – 2.99 for a 25% tuition waiver, and 2.0 – 2.49 for a 10% tuition waiver. A CGPA lower than 2.0 will not be offered a scholarship.
Those who are not qualified for the two scholarships can still get Self-pay Scholarships to receive fund reimbursements. However, a minimum score of 1250 for MSAT English and 1000 for EMSAT Math is needed to qualify. Moreover, a CGPA of 3.8 or higher during the semester at Khalifa University is needed to be considered for the scholarship. If the first-year CGPA is 3,8 or higher, a 20% tuition waiver is given. If it is lower than 3.8, no scholarship is given.
Tuition fees are one of the biggest hurdles for international students seeking to study outside of their countries. The UAE is a good option because of the numerous scholarship options one can get. With the above scholarships, early and thorough application can secure funding for any international student.
We hope that this article on the best scholarships in UAE for international students was helpful. To know more information like this, check out the Study in UAE and Available Programs for International Students pages.
