Gulf Universities
Top Universities in the Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar & more)
Well-known universities across the Gulf for international students — NYU Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University, the American University of Sharjah, MBZUAI and more, with official admission steps and where to verify the details.
Choosing a university in the Gulf starts with understanding what each institution focuses on, how its admissions work, and where the official requirements live. This hub gathers practical, English-only guides to leading universities in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf — covering programmes, language of instruction, standardized tests, scholarships and the student-visa basics. Every figure that changes year to year, including fees, scholarship amounts and rankings, is deferred to the official source with a verify-on-the-official-source nudge.
Last updated
Tests this hub covers
SAT
College Board · 8 weekend test dates a year (2026–27: Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Mar, May, Jun; same for U.S. and international)
ACT
ACT (ACT Education Corp.) · 7 test dates a year, in the U.S. and outside it (2026–27: Sep, Oct, Dec, Feb, Apr, Jun, Jul; most non-U.S. dates are two-day windows)
IELTS
British Council / IDP IELTS / Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Year-round (test dates and session times vary by test centre)
TOEFL iBT
ETS (Educational Testing Service) · Offered more than 170 times a year at test centres (Home Edition: 24 hours a day, 4 days a week)
GRE
ETS (Educational Testing Service) · Year-round, 365 days a year (once every 21 days, up to 5 times in any rolling 12 months)
Guides for Middle East
15 of 15 guides in this hub are for the Middle East.
How to Get Admission in NYU Abu Dhabi
Applying to NYU Abu Dhabi as an international undergraduate — the Common Application, standardized tests, need-based financial aid, and where to verify the official requirements and deadlines.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in Khalifa University
How international students apply to Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi — its engineering, science, medicine and AI focus, English-medium study, the online application, and where to verify requirements, deadlines and scholarships.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in American University of Sharjah
Applying to the American University of Sharjah (AUS) — its US-style, English-medium model, application steps, SAT and English-test requirements, and where to verify the official details and deadlines.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI)
How to apply to MBZUAI, a graduate research university for artificial intelligence in Abu Dhabi — its master's and PhD programmes, full scholarship for admitted students, GRE and English requirements, and where to verify the official details.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in KAUST
Applying to KAUST in Saudi Arabia — a graduate-only (M.S. and Ph.D.) research university where all admitted students receive the fully funded KAUST Fellowship.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in KFUPM
Applying to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia — a public university focused on engineering, petroleum, sciences, and business.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in King Saud University
Applying to King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh — one of Saudi Arabia's largest public universities — including programs, the language of instruction, and how the application works.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in Qatar University
Applying to Qatar University (QU) in Doha — Qatar's national public university — including the application flow, English/standardized-test expectations, and what to verify on the official source.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Applying to Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) — part of Qatar Foundation in Education City, Doha — a research-focused, English-medium university with undergraduate and graduate programs.
Read guideHow to Get Admission in Sultan Qaboos University
Applying to Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Muscat, Oman — its colleges, the application route, language of instruction, and where to verify current admission requirements.
Read guideTop Universities in the UAE for International Students
Well-known universities in the United Arab Emirates for international students — what each is known for, language of instruction, how admissions generally work, and where to verify the official details.
Read guideBest Universities in Saudi Arabia for International Students
Well-known universities in Saudi Arabia for international applicants — KAUST, KFUPM, King Saud University and others — with rankings attributed to their issuers and links to verify admissions on official sources.
Read guideBest Universities in Qatar for International Students
Universities in Qatar for international applicants — Qatar University, the Education City partner campuses and Hamad Bin Khalifa University — with rankings attributed to their issuers and official links to verify admissions.
Read guideUniversities in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait
The flagship public universities in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait — Sultan Qaboos University, the University of Bahrain and Kuwait University — plus how to verify programmes, language of instruction and admissions on official sources.
Read guideTop Engineering and Technology Universities in the Gulf
Engineering- and technology-strong universities across the Gulf — Khalifa University, KFUPM, KAUST, MBZUAI, Qatar University and others — with rankings attributed to QS and THE and official links to verify admissions.
Read guideStudying in the Middle East
Continue exploring the Middle East
Universities, entrance tests, costs and visa facts for the Middle East — all in one place, each linked to its official source.
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