UAE's New Higher Education Law Prioritizes Graduate Success

The UAE’s new higher education law marks a major shift in how universities are evaluated, prioritising graduate employability and academic outcomes over traditional university rankings, according to officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Speaking during a dialogue session with university representatives, ministry officials outlined how the legislation — effective from January 1, 2026 — aims to protect students from unaccredited degrees while aligning academic programmes more closely with labour market needs.

The law introduces a unified national framework governing all higher education institutions in the UAE, including those operating in free zones. It moves away from process-based regulation toward outcome-driven assessment, focusing on indicators such as graduate performance, programme quality and data-backed results.

“In the past, evaluation focused on procedures and processes,” said Ibrahim Fikri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector. “Today, I no longer focus on processes. What really creates a difference is the outputs of the educational institution.”

Graduate performance over rankings

Under the new framework, universities will be assessed based on how well their graduates perform in the job market rather than on classic classification systems. “I focus on evaluating any educational institution through its graduates,” Fikri said. “How many students are working in the job market, and how this reflects on the institution’s standing. This moves us away from classic classifications that were based mainly on procedures.”

The ministry plans to roll out initiatives in 2026 to help students choose academic specialisations aligned with employment opportunities. “This will be a link between new students joining universities and the universities themselves — helping them choose the appropriate specialisation and the appropriate job at the same time,” he added.

Mandatory data integration

A key pillar of the law is mandatory digital data integration between universities and the ministry through a central system, building on the Master API project launched in 2025.

Universities will be required to share detailed academic and administrative data, including programme offerings, student enrolment, faculty details, academic performance and graduate outcomes. The integrated data will support licensing, accreditation, performance evaluation and sector-wide planning.

Stricter programme and advertising rules

The law also introduces tighter controls on programme approvals and academic advertising, addressing cases where institutions promoted unauthorised degrees.

All programme advertisements will now require ministry approval, and accreditation will be issued through official documentation specifying validity periods.

Online learning regulations

Clarifying the treatment of online education, Prof Amjad Qandil, Acting Director of the Commission of Academic Accreditation for Higher Education, said online and face-to-face programmes will be accredited separately.

Programmes requiring practical training, such as engineering and medical sciences, cannot be delivered fully online in the UAE.

University response and implementation

Universities have broadly welcomed the shift toward outcome-based evaluation, though some acknowledged operational challenges during the one-year grace period. Prof Nazih Khaddaj Mallat, Vice President of Accreditation and Quality Assurance at Al Ain University, said employability is already a core focus. “The most important KPI is how ready our graduates are for labour market needs,” he said.

The law provides institutions with a one-year transition period to comply with data and regulatory requirements. Licensing will become a continuous process, with penalties — including licence cancellation — for non-compliance. Cabinet-approved regulations detailing enforcement mechanisms are expected to follow.