Overview
- An updated Ministry of Higher Education list for the 2026 academic year omits all UK institutions for the first time while keeping options in countries such as the United States, France and Israel.
- UAE officials told UK counterparts the change seeks to avoid students being radicalised on campus and reflects concerns about Muslim Brotherhood influence.
- The restriction targets new government-funded applicants, and students already on scholarships in Britain will continue receiving support, according to UK media reports.
- The move aligns with the UAE’s long-standing hard line on the Muslim Brotherhood, including 2024 prosecutions and 2025 terror designations of eight UK-based organisations.
- US Vice President JD Vance criticised coverage of the decision as an “insane headline,” saying Gulf allies view parts of the West as vulnerable to Islamist indoctrination.