6 countries & territories
A growing destination with American-style universities (NYU Abu Dhabi, AUS, AUD), branch campuses (Texas A&M Qatar, Carnegie Mellon Qatar), and research institutions (KAUST, Khalifa, Technion). Most programs in English. Generous scholarships are common for top international applicants. Hub cities Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha offer multicultural campuses.
Covers: United Arab Emirates · Saudi Arabia · Qatar · Oman · Bahrain · Kuwait
Last updated
Application platform
Direct via university
Intakes
Fall (Aug/Sep) · Spring (Jan)
Tuition (USD/yr, undergrad)
$0–$65,000
Student visa
Student Residence Visa
Home student of the Middle East?
GlobalStudyBoard is built for international students applying to the Middle East. If you are a citizen or resident, you usually apply as a domestic student — tuition is typically lower, you may qualify for home-student finance, and you do not need a student visa. We don’t cover the domestic home-student route in depth; for fees, funding and the home-student application process, use the official Middle East government and university sources (for example Direct via university).
13 institutions we cover in the Middle East.
Abu Dhabi · Est. 2010
An NYU portal campus offering a small, highly selective liberal arts and sciences experience. Acceptance rate hovers near 4%. Generous need-based financial aid available to international students, often covering full tuition and travel.
Thuwal · Est. 2009
A graduate research university on the Red Sea coast offering only master's and PhD programs. All admitted students receive a fellowship covering tuition, monthly stipend, housing, and medical insurance.
Abu Dhabi · Est. 2007
The UAE's top-ranked research university, particularly strong in petroleum engineering, aerospace, and AI (home to MBZUAI partnerships). All instruction in English. Generous scholarships available.
Doha · Est. 1973
Qatar's national university with the country's largest student body. Most undergraduate programs in English (engineering, business, medicine, computing), with some humanities programs in Arabic.
Haifa · Est. 1912
Israel's oldest university and a global powerhouse in engineering, computer science, and biotechnology. Three alumni have won the Nobel Prize. International students can apply to the English-taught undergraduate International School of Engineering.
Sharjah · Est. 1997
A private, English-medium university in Sharjah offering an American-model curriculum across engineering, architecture and design, arts and sciences, and business. It awards bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, with merit- and need-based scholarships available.
Standardised tests used by universities in the Middle East.
Digital SAT
International English Language Testing System
Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-Based Test)
Graduate Record Examinations
Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition)
The ACT Test
8 curated tracks — pick a path, then go deep hub by hub.
Gulf Admissions · UAE Higher-Ed System · Saudi Higher-Ed System · Attestation & Equivalency
5 topic hubsGulf Universities · UAE Universities In Depth · Choosing a Gulf Country
3 topic hubsBranch Campuses · Branch-Campus Accreditation · Dubai Academic Free-Zones · More Gulf Branch Campuses
4 topic hubsGulf Scholarships · Funded Graduate Awards · Money & Banking (Gulf) · Gulf Scholarships & Fees In Depth
4 topic hubsGulf Student Visas · Work & Residency After Study · UAE Golden Visa In Depth · Gulf Student Visas In Depth
4 topic hubsGulf Courses & Careers · Sciences & Maths (Gulf) · Architecture, Design & Arts · Aviation & Logistics
9 topic hubsGulf Entrance & English Tests · School Quals & Entrance Tests · Gulf Tests & Practical Life
3 topic hubsGulf Student Life · Living in Gulf Cities · Adjusting & Wellbeing
3 topic hubsMost applicants apply via Direct via university. Confirm current requirements on the official university or application-platform website before applying.
The main intakes are Fall (Aug/Sep), Spring (Jan). Application deadlines vary by university — always verify on the official source.
Undergraduate tuition is roughly $0–$65,000 per year (USD). Fees change every academic year — verify on the official university website.
Student Residence Visa. Immigration rules change frequently — verify on the official government source before applying.
Generally restricted; some universities permit on-campus work. Work rules can change — verify on the official source before relying on them.
Official sources for the visa and work rules above
Free tools
Each tool opens on the destination you have chosen in the header or, if you have not chosen one, on the Middle East, and needs only a free account. The tools keep what you enter, so confirm your own dates and figures on the official site. Where a tool adds something of ours — a validity rule, a university’s details, a cost line — it links the official page or our guide wherever we have one.
Questions students ask
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