Dubai unveils AED 1.1 billion scholarship fund

Dubai has launched a scholarship programme worth AED 1.1 billion to support outstanding Emirati graduates from public and private schools in the emirate.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, said that higher education scholarships will be granted annually to 100 best-performing students.

The programme will start accepting applications in April 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year, through the DubaiNow platform.

The selection criteria will be subject to the terms and conditions set by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), and the application window will be aligned with the announcement of high school results, taking into account timeframes for different curricula.

The initiative is part of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, launched recently by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Its objective is to support Dubai’s best-performing Emirati students by offering them higher education opportunities at leading academic institutions in the UAE and abroad.

Hamdan bin Mohammed Academic Scholarship Programme allocated AED1.1 billion to support the higher education of meritorious Emirati school graduates. pic.twitter.com/coCbdTJw5v

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 22, 2024

The new programme will top up the scholarships already in place by offering 75 additional scholarships, benefiting 100 outstanding students annually.

Strategic objectives

The Hamdan bin Mohammed Academic Scholarship Programme contributes to achieving two main strategic objectives. It aspires to position Dubai among the top 10 cities in terms of education quality globally by 2033.

Additionally, the programme is designed to provide students scholarships to prestigious international universities for specialised studies that are compatible with the needs of Dubai’s economy.

This makes the scholarships aligned with the priorities of future development across various sectors. It consequently boosts the economic participation of citizens and supports fulfilment of targets of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which is to increase the number of citizens working in the private sector to thrice the current number.