“Higher Education”: 3 thousand students apply for scholarships annually and we choose the “elite”
D. Muhammad Ibrahim Al -Mualla, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, that the selection of scholarship students for 2025 was made according to accurate criteria based on academic efficiency and personal excellence, indicating that less than 10% of the total number of applicants, who number between 2500 to 3000 students annually, are chosen, which makes the admitted “elite elite” in the United Arab Emirates.
This came during a speech delivered by Dr. Al -Mualla at the Forum of New Scholarships 2025, which was organized by the Ministry yesterday morning in the Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Dubai, in the presence of a number of scholarship officials, parents and a group of admitted students, in addition to the strategic partners of the Ministry and a group of specialists in educational affairs.
Al -Mualla explained that the external scholarship program in the UAE started from its early beginnings in response to urgent national needs, at a time when academic options within the country were limited and the number of universities did not cover educational and development aspirations.
He added: «The scholarship program was established with the aim of providing qualitative university education opportunities for citizens and today, and after the great development witnessed by the higher education sector locally, the focus has become directed towards attracting outstanding students and upgrading the quality of scholarships, while linking specializations to the needs of the future state.
The Undersecretary confirmed that the students who were chosen this year joined the best international universities and in accurate specializations that contribute to supporting the strategic directions of the state, noting that this achievement is a great honor, but at the same time a great responsibility rests with the scholarships.
He said: «Your choice was not only based on your academic excellence, but because you have chosen qualitative scientific paths that serve the country, today you represent the UAE abroad as ambassadors and this is a rare opportunity that must be invested, not only to achieve your personal aspirations, but to be an extension of a national vision that believes in science and empowering man.
Al -Mualla stressed the importance of the balance between academic excellence and commitment to national values, saying: “You have proven academically and this is an important aspect, but the most important thing is to adhere to the values and lofty ethics, we are not sent only a student who is superior in grades, but a citizen that represents the culture of his country, its identity and values in all his actions.”
He also drew attention to the great shift in the nature of education that the scholars will face, as teaching methods in international universities differ from the school experience and said: “Yesterday you were dependent on the teacher in the classroom, but today the responsibility for you, the lecturer at the university will put the general framework, but study, research and preparation for the tests will be your individual responsibility.”
Al -Mualla continued his speech, warning against negligence in dealing with this articulated stage, stressing that the students admitted to the program are the elite of the high school graduates in the country, and he said: “You are at the beginning of a new stage and university life is completely different from school life, what is required of you is discipline, and take responsibility and positive interaction with a competitive academic environment.”
Al -Mualla added: “We believe in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research that building a person starts from education and that scientifically qualified national competencies are the basis for a competitive and sustainable future, so we continue to develop scholarship policies and expand the scope of specializations to match national priorities throughout all vital economic sectors.”
The total number of scholarship students outside the country, including new scholars and continuous students, reaches 592 students studying in more than 115 high education institutions distributed over at least 22 countries around the world and all of them classified among the best educational institutions globally, while 187 students graduated from the scholarship program during the academic year 2024-2025.
Support during the study periodFor his part, Rashid Ali Al -Zahimi, Director of the International Education Support Department, said: The new scholarships have proven their worth of the confidence that the ministry granted to them, indicating that the ministry will continue to provide all aspects of support to them during their study period.
He added: “We reassure the parents that their children are in safe hands and we will remain in constant contact to ensure the achievement of their scientific goals and aspirations. This program is not only an opportunity to learn, but a life experience that will make future leaders from them.”
Comprehensive care and follow -up academicAl -Zahimi confirmed that the work teams in the ministry pay the scholarship comprehensive care, whether in terms of academic follow -up or psychological and moral support, while providing permanent communication channels to overcome any difficulties that they may face.
In this context, the Ministry of Higher Education was keen to provide an educational attaché network and representative offices covering most of the scholarship countries with student accumulation, with the aim of providing the highest levels of support and support to Emirati students.
Monthly salary and allocationsThe scholarship students also obtain a package of financial and social allocations and advantages, including: the monthly salary (classified into distinguished or ordinary according to the university and specialization) and coverage of complete tuition fees. A comprehensive health insurance in the country of scholarships, as well as the student gets a travel preparation allowance and an annual travel ticket for accompanying, in addition to graduation and shipping allocations, as well as a marital allowance and an allowance for children under 18 years of age, academic supplies that are spent once at the beginning of the mission, in addition to an additional 50% exchange of the student’s allowance in cases of accompanying accompanying.
To facilitate the procedures of scholarship students outside the country, the Ministry launched the “E-Services” system for electronic services, which is an integrated platform that allows students to apply for various services throughout the scholarship, starting from registration to graduation, in a manner that ensures the speed of completion and direct connection with the attachments and the ministry.
In order to enhance the spirit of communication and belonging, the Ministry has established councils for scholarship students distributed according to the scholarship countries, to be a platform for dialogue, exchange of information and sharing proposals and ideas, in a way that serves the image of the state in international forums and enhances its honorable representation. The Ministry called on the scholarship students to join these councils by implementing “Telegram”.
Scholarships of the “Gulf” are committed to the honorable representation of our countryA number of students who are scholars expressed their pride in joining the scholarship program and representing the UAE in the most prominent international universities, stressing that this opportunity represents an important turning point in their academic and personal career.
Abdullah Nabil, one of the scholarship students to Australia, said.
CivilizationKhalaf Jamal Al -Zaabi, who is also a scholarship to Australia, pointed out that the scholarship decision was studied and that he is completely ready to go through the experience with all responsibility, saying: “External representation is not limited to the academic side only, but rather a civilized message through which we express our culture and our Emirati identity, I feel proud and confident in my ability to achieve the best.”
For his part, Saeed Suleiman Khanbashi, who will join a university in Florida to study space science, expressed his aspiration to gain advanced experiences in one of the most accurate and important specialties, saying: “Space sciences are my childhood dream and today I see it achieved thanks to the support of the wise leadership, I will strive to be an active element in the upcoming Emirates projects in the space sector.”
As for Abd al -Rahman al -Misfer, he confirmed that the government support and the motivational environment were the most prominent motives that encouraged him to go through this experience, adding: “Scholarship is not just a study, but rather a complete school of life. On the other hand, Rawda Ahmed Al -Amri, a master’s student at Zayed University and who holds admission from Sydney University in a rare specialty that combines environmental science and law: “My choice within the program reflects the Ministry’s interest in encouraging accurate and important specializations, the financial and moral support that we get amazing, my father was the first to encourage me and this prompts me to do more.”
My love for physics does not endWhile Nod Mohamed Salem Al -Mahri, the scholarship student to Australia, expressed her passion for studying abroad, affected by the experience of her sister in Britain and said: “I saw how to change the scholarship from my sister and Aar’s personality I worked to live this experiment myself, I passed the “IELTS” test at a rate of 6.5, and I got admission from an Australian university in its specialty, which is physics, I got 98% in high school and 100% in physics and I am proud of joining this program.
