RAS AL KHAIMAH // British and American colleges and universities are being lured to Ras al Khaimah's free zone in a bid to attract more students.
Low rents for universities and lower fees for students will encourage the growth of the higher education sector in the northern emirates, the chief executive of the RAK free trade zone said.
"We do not want to bring schools that are not internationally recognised," Oussama El Omari said. "People recognise the British curriculum as one with high standards."
The free zone is looking for about five British and American institutions and have accepted applications for review.
The University of Bolton, from Britain, is the largest private university in RAK since it opened two years ago, with 300 students. The facility's academic director, Zubair Hanslot, said the British curriculum attracted students.
The courses on offer were in demand locally, including mechanical engineering, and the lower fees made it a more viable option for many people in the northern emirates, Mr Hanslot said. "It's a much quieter, more focused study environment," he added.
The free zone wants two universities and three training centres, with more vocational courses on offer at the centres such as management and IT to help equip students with the basics for working in RAK's growing industries.
"The airline industry is booming in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and we hope in time, this will pass on to our own airport in Ras al Khaimah. We want to produce more airline engineers who can help to grow this booming UAE business," Mr El Omari said. "We will choose the best British universities which specialise in areas such as airline engineering to ensure the students get the best possible training."
The free zone has also added the French hotel and tourism school, Vatel, to its repertoire. Students will undertake internships at local hotels such as Banyan Tree and the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah.
"We need more skilled manpower in RAK, for the existing industries, and to those we're attracting. It was Bolton University's shipping and logistics programmes that made it a very appealing university to bring here as it fits in so well with the local economy, " Mr El Omari said.
RAK is trying to serve the whole community including Ajman, UAQ and Fujairah, as many students still travel to Dubai and Sharjah.
"Parents want to send their kids to RAK. It's closer to home and there are less distractions. They will pay for a quality British or American university as they see it as value for money," Mr El Omari said.
Fees at Bolton University are about Dh30,000 per year, compared with the equivalent UK universities in Dubai, such as Middlesex, which costs Dh46,000 per year.
There are about 1,000 full-time students at the six institutions in RAK's free zone and 300 part-time. Ten per cent are Emiratis.
Mr El Omari added that he hopes to steer local high school drop-outs to more vocational careers.
"We're trying to capture these people with short courses ... to equip them with skills for the workplace such as English, technical and communication skills," he said.
"We don't want to import manpower from overseas. We also want to be employing Emiratis. We want the skills people learn at the universities and colleges here to be transferred back into the local economy."
@Email:mswan@thenational.ae
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
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Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
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England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
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Australia World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Volvo ES90 Specs
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Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Racecard
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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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.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
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Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
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