UAE universities have risen up the rankings in a new global higher education league table, in which the US's under-fire Harvard cemented top spot for the 14th consecutive year.
Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University led the way for the country, jumping up 30 places to 846th out of 21,462 higher education institutions assessed in the 2025 Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR), released on Monday morning.
Khalifa University placed in the top 4 per cent of universities worldwide and was the 10th best in the Middle East in the annual list measured on quality of education, employability, quality of faculty and research.
United Arab Emirates University climbed 91 places to 1,022 (in the top 4.8 per cent), ahead of the University of Sharjah – up 161 places to 1,092 (top 5.1 per cent) and New York University Abu Dhabi at 1,116 (top 5.2 per cent).
The CWUR referred to the strong research performance of the universities as being central to their move up the rankings.
Nadim Mahassen, president of the CWUR, hailed the significant progress being made by UAE universities. “With four of its institutions in the rankings, the United Arab Emirates is well represented among the world’s top universities," he said. "Further financial backing, and placing the development of education and science higher on its agenda, will allow the country to be even more competitive in the rapidly evolving global academic landscape."
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology was the top performer in the region, moving up to 237th from 249th position last year.
Fellow Saudi institution King Abdulaziz University broke into the 250, rising from 254th to 249th.
UAE makes its mark
Senthil Nathan, managing director and co-founder of Edu Alliance, a UAE-based higher education consultancy company, said it was significant that this particular ranking places an emphasis on the success of universities in preparing students for the world of work.
“Before reflecting on any world rankings, it is essential to understand their underlying methodologies. CWUR assesses rankings without relying on surveys and university data submissions,” Mr Nathan said.
“A significant weight [50 per cent] of this ranking is given to the success of the university's alumni.”
Mr Nathan – a former deputy vice chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi – said the CWUR considers the average number of former students who have held top positions at the world's largest 2,000 public companies since 2011. This performance indicator will frustrate some newer universities, such as those in the Emirates.
“The improvement in the rankings of four of the universities in the UAE is commendable," he said. "On a first glance, their CWUR ranking may seem lower as compared to their ranking in other systems.
“However, this is mainly because of the way CWUR measures success of the alumni. Khalifa University and NYUAD are relatively young universities and have been graduating students only for less than 15 years.”
The UAE government has taken significant steps to drive up higher education standards in recent years in an effort to compete with the world's best seats of learning.
In June 2024, the UAE set out plans for local universities to be subjected to regular assessments and clustered based on performance.
Both public and private higher education institutions are included in the assessment, with rankings based on factors including teaching quality and student life, employability, scientific research and international collaboration.
Recognition for troubled Harvard
The Ivy League Harvard University, which is the subject of a controversial plan by the Trump administration to prevent it enrolling foreign students, topped the rankings once again.
Washington has accused the Ivy League university of not doing enough to fight anti-Semitism and change its admissions practices – allegations the university has strongly denied. Harvard said the proposed ban is a “blatant violation” of the law and free speech rights.
Harvard was joined in the top three by two other US universities, MIT and Stanford, with the UK's world renowned Cambridge and Oxford making up the top five.
While US universities make up the rest of the top 10, Mr Mahassen said this dominance was not reflected in the wider global top 2,000 and points to potential challenges ahead as academic competition hots up and universities face up to funding cuts.
“While the United States still boasts the top universities in the world, the decline of the vast majority of its higher education institutions should be of concern to US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the wider Trump administration," he said.
“At a time when Chinese universities are reaping the rewards of years of generous financial support from their government, American institutions are grappling with slashed federal funding and disputes over academic freedom and free speech.
“With the United States surpassed by China as the country with the most representatives in the rankings, its reputation in the global higher education sector is under serious threat.
“The sharp decline of US universities parallels that of institutions in Japan, France, and Germany, while UK and Russian universities have fared only slightly better. With the extraordinary rise of Chinese institutions, universities in the Western world cannot afford to stand still and rest on their laurels.”
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Eagles
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Hurricanes
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
SPEC%20SHEET
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Tour de France
When: July 7-29
UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
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Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
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The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
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Company%C2%A0profile
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RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
