The United Arab Emirates, simply known as the Emirates or UAE, is a country that is part of the Arab world. Its population was about 10,986,400 in 2024. Abu Dhabi is the UAE’s capital city. The country’s official language is Arabic, and English is widely spoken. Furthermore, the UAE’s official religion is Islam, while the country also allows the practice of other religions and hosts diverse faith communities.
Once students have completed their secondary schooling, they may choose to pursue vocational education or tertiary education at vocational and technical centers, colleges, or universities.
Data science is an important field of study in this modern age. Gathering big data and deriving beneficial insights from it is now a process used by various sectors of society to improve decision-making. As the UAE’s national AI strategy emphasizes building an AI ecosystem, training talent for AI-enabled jobs, and developing data infrastructure, data science-related programs remain relevant for students interested in the country’s digital transformation.
In this article, we discuss several universities and higher education providers that offer data science-related programs in the United Arab Emirates.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in the United Arab Emirates
1. Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Heriot-Watt University Dubai is the UAE campus of the Scottish public research university, Heriot-Watt University. It is located in Dubai Knowledge Park. The Dubai campus was established in 2005 as the first British university to set up a campus in Dubai. It was also awarded Best University at the Forbes Middle East Higher Education Awards in 2019.
Heriot-Watt University Dubai is organized across five academic schools, plus Edinburgh Business School and Global College. These include Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society; Engineering and Physical Sciences; Mathematical and Computer Sciences; Social Sciences; and Textiles and Design.
For data science-related study, the current undergraduate option linked here is the BSc (Hons) Actuarial Data Science, which is offered full-time on campus and typically takes three to four years. The MSc Data Science is offered on campus on a full-time or part-time basis, has a one-year duration, and is accredited by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. It also carries Euro-Inf, UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and QAA accreditation.
2. University of Dubai
A private university established in 1997, the University of Dubai is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and owned by Dubai Chamber of Commerce. The university is located in Academic City.
The university has three colleges in addition to the College of General Studies: Dubai Business School, the College of Engineering and Information Technology, and the College of Law. These colleges offer more than 26 accredited undergraduate, graduate, and advanced certificate programs in fields such as business, law, information technology, and engineering.
As for its data science program, it is offered at the College of Engineering and Information Technology. The Master of Science in Data Science is a 30-credit, English-taught graduate program that can be completed full-time or part-time over two years. Students take courses such as Fundamentals of Data Science, Statistics and Probability in Data Science, Advanced Database Queries and Data Warehouse in Data Science, Big Data Management Using Hadoop, Data Visualization for Business Intelligence, Research Methods in Data Science, electives, and a thesis.
3. Middlesex University Dubai
Middlesex University Dubai is another UAE institution offering a data science-related program. It is an overseas campus of London’s Middlesex University. The university has a primary campus in Dubai Knowledge Park and a second campus in Dubai International Academic City.
Courses at this higher education institution focus on Business, Accounting and Finance, Computer Engineering and Informatics, Psychology, Law, Art and Design, Media, and Health and Education. Today, the university reports more than 7,100 students from more than 120 nationalities.
The university’s current program in this field is the MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. It can be pursued full-time or part-time; the official course listing states that it is taught over one year full-time and two years part-time. For new students enrolling in September 2026, the listed total tuition fee is AED 76,491, inclusive of VAT.
4. United Arab Emirates University
Famously known as the United Arab Emirates’ first and foremost comprehensive national university, United Arab Emirates University, or UAEU, is a public research university in Al Ain, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. It was founded in 1976. UAEU remains a relevant option for students seeking data science-related study in the UAE.
There are currently more than 20,000 Emirati and international students pursuing their education at UAEU.
Furthermore, the university has nine colleges: Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Information Technology, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, and Science.
Moving on to data science, the university’s undergraduate catalog includes a Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence under the College of Information Technology. Related options also include a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Data Analytics and a Master in Business Analytics through the College of Business and Economics.
5. Westford University College
Westford University College is a UAE-based transnational education provider. Established in 2009, Westford reports more than 30,000 students, more than 80 courses, learners from more than 150 nationalities, and more than 12 academic partners.
The linked data science program is the Master’s in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, awarded by UCAM, Spain. It is a 12- to 15-month, 60-ECTS blended-learning program with live online classes and onsite workshops. Prospective students should note that it is a dual-certified program: learners receive a Master of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence from UCAM, Spain, and a Certified Data Science Professional certificate from the Chartered Management Institute, UK.
We hope this article on data science-related universities and higher education providers in the UAE was helpful. If you’re looking to study abroad, make sure to check out the Study in UAE and Available Programs for International Students pages for more articles.
