Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has restricted funding for its citizens who want to take admissions to British universities over fears that campuses are being radicalised by an extremist Islamist group, according to Financial Times.
Abu Dhabi’s decision to exclude UK institutions from a list of universities eligible for state scholarships is over the UK’s decision not to ban the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group, the paper reported. The group is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UAE, which has also campaigned for European nations to ban it over extremist activities.
When UK officials asked about the absence of British universities, UAE officials made it clear that the omission was deliberate. The news report quoted a source as saying that they said it was not an “oversight”.
“[The UAE] don’t want their kids to be radicalised on campus,” the source said. The UAE has also said it will not recognise degrees from institutions not on its approved list, diminishing the value of UK qualifications for Emiratis.
Abu Dhabi recently excluded British universities from a list of global institutions eligible for state scholarships. The decision affects Emirati students who rely on Government funding to study abroad. The list included universities in the US, Australia, France and Israel. However, UK universities were not included. The UK has been a popular study destination for Emirati students, who benefit from generous state scholarships.
UK data.
Official UK data shows that in the 2023- 24 academic year, 70 students at UK universities were reported for possible referral to the government’s Prevent deradicalisation programme due to signs of “Islamist radicalisation”. This was nearly double the number reported the previous year, out of a total higher education population of almost 3 million students, the news report said.
In the year ending September 2025, only 213 Emirati students were granted UK study visas. This was down 27 per cent from the previous year and 55 per cent lower than in 2022.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, has promised to ban the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes prime minister. The UAE Government funded Farage’s visit to the country last year, according to a recent Financial Times report.
