Hundreds of students from across the UAE have already applied to attend a new UK university campus opening in Dubai.
The University of Birmingham Dubai campus is scheduled to open in September and will be accepting about 3,000 students, offering a range of subjects from engineering to business.
Spectacular drone footage was released by the university to display the state-of-the-art campus in Dubai International Academic City.
Provost David Sadler told The National it was designed with a quadrant to replicate the historic centre at the heart of the University of Birmingham.
The facilities will include shaded open-air courtyard spaces and the buildings will be next to parkland offering sports pitches and an open-air event space.
"It has been designed to mirror Birmingham's iconic quadrangle at its core," Prof Sadler said.
“The way it looks is very distinctive. We have made a long-term commitment to be in the UAE. We will be growing to about 3,000 students in the next phase of our plans for further expansion and we have recruited staff from the UAE and academics from across the world.”
Two thirds of its students are from the UAE and it has attracted a lot of interest from India, China and the UK.
We are wanting to encourage undergraduates in the UK to consider completing one year of their degree in Dubai on the business courses here
Last year, campuses of international universities across the UAE reported an increase in domestic enrolment because of the pandemic.
The University of Birmingham Dubai, the first top Russell Group university to open in Dubai, is also hoping to attract UK students for secondments from their business degrees.
“The UAE has handled the pandemic relatively well and having a strong vaccine programme it is recovering quickly and is keen to develop its higher education programme,” Prof Sadler said.
"We want to encourage undergraduates in the UK to consider completing one year of their degree in Dubai on the business courses here.
“The campus is fully on track and we are really excited to be moving into it. The pandemic remains central to our thinking, in common with the UK, and we have contingency plans in place but we do not expect it to affect the opening. We have incredibly stringent protocols and spend a lot of time talking to our students.”
The university, which opened in Dubai in 2018 and currently has 400 students, is hoping to move into research involving renewables and transport in the future and has the capacity to expand to 4,500 students.
UK education secretary Gavin Williamson last year told The National that encouraging British students to attend university in the Gulf plays a large part in his thinking.
“My dream is to see more British students going to the United Arab Emirates to be able to study there," he said.
"The UAE and the United Kingdom have such a long-standing historical partnership that has served both nations incredibly well and I think British students will very much benefit from being able to learn in the Emirates as part of that partnership.”
The University of Birmingham Dubai has been licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education.
University of Birmingham vice chancellor and principal professor, Sir David Eastwood, expects the new venture to flourish.
“We are a global university with a civic outlook and committed to contributing to UAE society – as a leading provider of education and through our research strengths,” he said.
“Under Prof Sadler’s leadership, I am certain that our Dubai campus will continue going from strength to strength – providing an academic experience that allows our Dubai students to develop and grow, graduating as high-achieving and employable problem solvers.”
The University of Birmingham was established by Queen Victoria in 1900 as Britain’s first civic university, where students from all religions and backgrounds were accepted on an equal basis.
Its researchers have received 11 Nobel prizes, from pioneering organ transplants, discovering gravitational waves and furthering understanding of Shakespeare, to developing cures for cancer, advances in robotics and revealing the structure of DNA.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
THE SPECS
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
