Dubai quadruplets have graduated from the Oxford Brookes University with different degrees, a first for the UK institution.
Ayah, Abdelrahim, Osama and Ahmad Shaaban, 20, arrived in Oxford from Dubai in 2018 and proceeded to have a "joyous and memorable" time.
They were drawn to Oxford Brookes by its strong reputation, the range of the degree courses on offer and the safety of the English city itself.
While their choice of university was the same, their choice of courses differed. Osama opted for law, Ayah for interior architecture, Abdelrahim for accounting and finance and Ahmad for business and management.
Their strong family bond helped them adjust to life at university, with Ahmad particularly swift to acclimatise.
“Given the fact that the four of us were together, I found it easy to adapt," he says.
For Osama it was harder.
“As a family-oriented person, my exposure to a new culture made me homesick”, he says. "But the inclusiveness of the university and support of staff and our peers definitely made the transition more swift.”
Ayah had a challenging time, too, as illness took its toll and she was admitted to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital for a month in February 2019.
“The amount of support and care I received from the school of architecture was phenomenal,” she says.
The support structure offered by the university did not prevent the quadruplets from becoming more independent.
“Learning to manage your time, and organising your own shopping and cooking are all important in becoming more responsible”, says Ahmad.
Mock trials and treehouses delight quadruplets
The siblings all flourished academically, too.
Ayah loved working on real-life projects, which included designing a treehouse, and Osama was top of his cohort of law students.
He also took part in a mock trial competition which, alongside a friend, he won.
"I’ll always remember the judge remarking: ‘We made history today with our first quadruplets to attend a court hearing’,” he says.
Osama was not the only quadruplet to prosper in a competition. Together with a fellow student, Ahmad won the Oxford Brookes Spark Award for his start-up idea.
“Pitching and winning the award with my friend was amazing. It meant that we could grow our idea of creating a delivery app in Oxford,” he says.
Covid fails to harm quality of education
The last two years were not all plain sailing; as with students worldwide, the quadruplets' education hit stormy seas as the coronavirus pandemic struck.
The siblings flew home to Dubai in March 2020 where they completed their degrees online, a seamless shift aided by Oxford Brookes's teaching team.
“As well as recording lectures and seminars, they utilised several tools like Jamboards and slides to make teaching more engaging," says Ahmad.
Eyes on the future with Zaha Hadid firm
Now the quadruplets are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives and master’s degrees beckon for the three brothers.
Osama aims to qualify as a solicitor in England after a master’s in law and a legal practice course, and work in a London firm before returning to Dubai. Ahmad wants to become a technology consultant in the UK after a master’s in information technology and AI, while Abdelrahim's ambition is to become a chartered financial analyst and work in private equity after a master’s degree in finance.
Sister Ayah’s sights are set on a job with a top architecture firm.
“I’d love to work with Zaha Hadid’s company – she's a very inspiring role model for me,” she says.
Though now looking to the future, the quadruplets' time at Oxford Brookes has provided them with some lasting memories.
“I fondly remember my casual conversations with my peers before going into the lecture hall, my rowing adventure with my siblings on the River Thames and the Ramadan meals I got to enjoy with my siblings and friends," says Osama.
"My experience was definitely joyous and memorable.”
The university's deputy director of global recruitment Mark O’Keeffe was instrumental in persuading them to enrol and he is full of pride at their achievements.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see the success they have all had and to know that their experience at Brookes has been so positive,” he says.
