UK unis removed from list eligible for Emirati state scholarships

The United Arab Emirates taken steps to limit state-funded studies in the UK, underscoring concerns about the presence of Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group on British university campuses.

Although the decision does not prevent students from enrolling in the UK outright, it effectively cuts off public funding – a major consideration for many Emirati students seeking to study abroad.

The move reflects longstanding tensions between Abu Dhabi and London over the Muslim Brotherhood, which the UAE designates as a terrorist organisation. While Emirati authorities have repeatedly urged the UK to adopt a similar position, successive British governments have declined to do so.

Sources cited by The Times suggest that concerns around student radicalisation were central to the policy shift, with the UAE viewing UK campuses as spaces where ideas linked to the Brotherhood is tolerated or allowed to circulate.

“They complain to the UK about the Muslim Brotherhood to cause a diplomatic stink until they get what they want. It’s often an internal thing. I don’t believe our universities are infested with the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s all about positioning,” a Middle East expert claimed in The Times article.

“It’s a way of threatening young students to behave, saying in essence, whatever you do, don’t join the Muslim Brotherhood if you’re in the UK. It is like a warning shot to students to dabble at their peril.”

I don’t believe our universities are infested with the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s all about positioning
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While the UK has been a popular destination for Emirati students – particularly those pursuing postgraduate degrees, with the number of UAE students enrolled at UK universities doubling to 8,500 between 2017 and 2024, the withdrawal of scholarship support is expected to affect future recruitment flows.

Meanwhile, US vice president JD Vance expressed his own dissatisfaction on X, claiming that Abu Dhabi’s decision was “absolutely insane”.

“Some of our best Muslim allies in the Gulf think the Islamist indoctrination in certain parts of the West is too dangerous,” he added.

While neither government has publicly framed the change as a diplomatic dispute, the development highlights how geopolitical tensions are increasingly shaping international student mobility, even between historic partners.

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