The new law establishes a unified national framework for all higher education institutions in the UAE, signalling a shift away from process-based regulation.
Protecting students from unaccredited degrees and aligning university programmes with labour market needs are key objectives of the UAE’s new higher education law, ministry officials said during a dialogue session with universities outlining how the legislation will take effect in January 2026.
The law establishes a unified national framework for all higher education institutions across the UAE, including those operating in free zones, marking a shift away from process-based regulation. Rather than evaluating universities based on procedures and paperwork, the focus will now be on outcomes, including graduate employability, programme quality, and data-driven performance indicators.
“In the past, evaluation focused on procedures and processes,” said Ibrahim Fikri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
“Today, I no longer focus on processes. What really creates a difference is the outputs of the educational institution.”
UAE’s New Higher Education Law Prioritises Graduate Outcomes Over University Rankings
Dubai, UAE: Protecting students from unaccredited degrees and aligning university programmes with labour market needs are central goals of the UAE’s new higher education law, ministry officials said during a recent dialogue with universities on its implementation, set to begin in January 2026.
The legislation introduces a unified national framework for all higher education institutions across the UAE, including those in free zones, signalling a shift away from process-based regulation. Instead of evaluating universities on procedures and paperwork, institutions will now be assessed on outcomes, including graduate employability, programme quality, and data-driven performance indicators.
Outcome-Focused Evaluation
Ibrahim Fikri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, emphasised the change:
“In the past, evaluation focused on procedures and processes. Today, I no longer focus on processes. What really creates a difference is the outputs of the educational institution.”
Under the new framework, universities will be assessed on how their graduates perform in the job market, rather than traditional classification systems.
“I focus on evaluating any educational institution through its graduates — how many students are working in the job market, and how this reflects on the institution’s standing,” Fikri said. “This moves us away from classic classifications that were based mainly on procedures.”
Linking Programmes to Labour Market Needs
The ministry plans to launch initiatives in 2026 to help students make more informed decisions about specialisations and career paths, better aligning academic programmes with labour market demand.
“This will create a link between new students and universities — helping them choose the appropriate specialisation and job at the same time,” Fikri explained.
Mandatory Data Integration
A cornerstone of the new law is mandatory data integration between universities and the ministry via a central digital infrastructure, building on the ministry’s Master API project launched in 2025. Universities must share comprehensive academic and administrative data, including programme details, student numbers, faculty information, academic performance, and graduation outcomes.
“I need a clear picture of what is happening in the educational environment so decision-makers can act with full visibility,” Fikri said, noting that previously data submissions were often delayed or inconsistent. “With today’s advanced infrastructure, this is no longer acceptable.”
The integrated data pool will support licensing, accreditation, strategic planning, performance evaluation, and regulatory oversight across the higher education sector.
Stricter Controls on Programmes and Advertising
The law also tightens programme approvals and academic advertising to prevent institutions from offering unauthorised programmes.
“Every institution must obtain initial approval from the ministry,” Fikri said. “Unauthorised programmes deceive students and damage the reputation of the UAE’s education system. All academic advertising will now require ministry approval, and accreditation will be issued with official documentation specifying its validity period.”
Clarifying Online Learning
Regarding online education, Prof Amjad Qandil, Acting Director of the Commission of Academic Accreditation for Higher Education, said online and in-person programmes are treated as distinct accreditations.
“If an institution wants to convert a programme from face-to-face to online, this is considered a new accreditation, not a modification,” he explained. Programmes requiring hands-on training, such as engineering, medical, and health sciences, cannot be fully online, though individual components may be delivered remotely after evaluation.
Universities Welcome the Shift
Universities broadly welcomed the move toward outcome-based evaluation but acknowledged operational challenges during the one-year grace period for implementation. Prof Nazih Khaddaj Mallat, Vice President of Accreditation and Quality Assurance at Al Ain University, said the framework aligns with ongoing work at his institution:
“The most important KPI is how ready our graduates are for labour market needs.”
