While the number of Emiratis studying in the US nearly halved between 2015 and 2023, this appears to be part of a wider decline, with fewer young people from other Gulf nations also making the move.
The drop is particularly noticeable with students from Saudi Arabia, but Bahraini and Kuwaiti student numbers in the US also fell significantly.
What's more, Middle Eastern student numbers in other popular western higher education destinations, such as the UK and Australia, appear to be mostly holding up. However, analysts said there was increasing interest in travelling to countries in East and South-east Asia for higher education.
In the 2022-23 academic year there were 1,502 Emiratis enrolled at higher education institutions in the US – little more than half the total of 2015/16, when there were 2,920.
Figures in International Education's Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange also show that, over the same period, the number of Saudi Arabian students in the US fell from 61,287 to 15,989 – almost a three-quarters drop – while Qatari students numbers plummeted from 1,443 to 404.
Numbers of Bahraini and Kuwaiti students in the US also fell significantly, although the popularity of the US among Omani students remained roughly the same.
Safety, cost and 'mistrust'
Personal safety, including the risk of gun crime, and also tuition fees have been cited as factors putting students off the US.
Vinay Loungani, sales manager for the Middle East and North Africa for Crimson Education, which assists students looking to study abroad, said there had been a downturn in interest in the US from the region.
“Many Middle Eastern families we encounter are less inclined to send their kids to the US due to safety reasons, financial commitments and overall distance between the UAE and the US,” he said.
“They feel much more comfortable sending their kids to the UK or other countries, such as in Europe, when their kids insist on wanting to study abroad.
“However, there are a few families who still want their kids to go to the US to study, especially if they can get into a top school … The reason is the tremendous return in terms of opportunities these top schools can provide students.”
In 2022 in the Journal of International Students, Dr Ryan Allen, then of Chapman University in Orange, California, and Dr Krishna Bista, of Morgan State University in Baltimore, suggested that an unwelcoming climate may deter Middle Eastern and some other students from going to the US for higher education.
“Eventually, students from places that have been particularly targeted, such as China or predominantly Muslim countries, may choose not to come to the United States for study,” they wrote in a paper titled Talented, Yet Seen With Suspicion: Surveillance of International Students and Scholars in the United States.
“Universities and educators must continue to fight and protect this population from misplaced speculation and scapegoating.”
They said “mistrust” of international students “has been embedded throughout US immigration history”, with security concerns a key reason, adding that “the entire population of international students” should not be “scapegoated”.
This is something Robin Solomon, counsellor for public affairs at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi, sought to assure would-be students is not the case, saying US towns and cities are “welcoming and safe”.
“The concerns, I can guarantee, are being discussed in American homes, being discussed all around the world, with students and parents and educators for whom the US system of higher education has great appeal, but for whom there are very deeply felt concerns for safety,” she previously told The National.
Improvements at home
Multiple factors may account for some Middle Eastern students deciding not to go abroad for higher education.
Changes in scholarship regimes from their own government have been cited by analysts as affecting Saudi Arabian students in particular.
Also, a wider range of high-quality educational institutions at home means the desire to go overseas may have reduced.
The opening of New York University in Abu Dhabi more than a decade ago is a key example, said Soraya Beheshti, a regional managing director for Crimson Education.
“Without a doubt, the establishment of NYU Abu Dhabi, which is probably one of the best universities now in the entire region, would have made the UAE more attractive to both domestic and international people,” she said.
Likewise, she cited institutions in Qatar linked to three US universities – Georgetown, Cornell and Carnegie Mellon – as helping to encourage students to remain in their home country.
Better employment opportunities in the Gulf for new graduates is another factor, Ms Beheshti said.
High competition
The UK, another popular destination for Middle East students, has not seen the same drop in numbers as the US, with increases recorded over the past decade or so.
Figures from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency indicate that there were 12,925 first-year students from the Middle East in the UK in the 2011/12 academic year, while by 2021/22 the number had increased to 16,905.
With tuition fees for British students capped, universities in the UK have been heavily increasing their tally of overseas students, who can be charged higher fees.
Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham in the UK, said his country could feel less unwelcoming for Middle Eastern students than the US.
“I don’t think there’s the same degree of threat because people aren’t carrying guns … and we’re really committed to multiculturalism,” he said.
“The universities here are heavily dependent on overseas students to balance the books, so they’re very welcoming.”
He also said cost might be a factor, with courses at British universities likely to be less expensive than those at American institutions.
Australian government statistics paint a mixed picture of the nation’s ability to attract Middle Eastern students over the past decade.
The number of Emirati students has, overall, increased, from 1,633 in 2014 to 1,532 in 2018 and 2,095 in 2022.
By contrast, Saudi Arabian student numbers have fallen heavily, from 4,877 in 2014 to 4,100 in 2018 and 3,276 in 2022, while there have also been steep declines in numbers from Kuwait and Bahrain.
Sweden, which attracts only “very small” numbers of Middle Eastern students, has also seen a drop in the past five years or so from populous Middle Eastern nations such as Egypt or Saudi Arabia, according to Dr Per Nilsson, a researcher affiliated to Umea University in Sweden.
The introduction of tuition fees for students outside Europe in 2011 has reduced the numbers from outside the continent, he said, although numbers from Asia have since picked up.
“Most of the students are European students or they’re coming from Asia,” he said.
Attractive alternatives
For Middle Eastern families who remain interested in an education in North America, but who have concerns about the US, Canada is an attractive option, Ms Beheshti said.
“Europe has some options although anecdotally I do hear some of the same concerns, the same sentiments about Islamophobia vis-a-vis Europe, especially France, then there’s the language concern,” she said.
“What I’ve seen growing much more in the UAE is East Asia as a destination. Malaysia, for example, has grown as a study destination. Not for your super highly academic top-of-the-class student, but the general student.
“Part of the reason is that if you go to any of these education fairs, the university admission expos, the Malaysian government invests incredible amounts into these fairs. They are always there, they always have a huge booth and they enrol students or enrol their interest right then and there.”
She also said that, tying in with the priorities of the UAE’s Ministry of Education, there were more students going to countries such as China and Russia for their education. Singapore and Japan are also sparking more interest among Emiratis, she said.
“With some notable UAE or even Saudi business people having graduated from some of these universities in Asia, that all helps to move the needle,” she said.
Having greater numbers of Emiratis with ties to, and language skills from, countries such as these is seen as helping to strengthen bilateral ties.
Tuition fees at top American universities – in pictures
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
