As thousands of final-year students in the UAE submit their applications to local universities, we take a look at some of the best higher education options in the Emirates and what they have to offer
Where is it from?
Edinburgh (often referred to as Old Smokey), Scotland
When was it founded?
1821 (parent university); 2005 (Dubai campus)
What is it?
Founded 200 years ago as “the world’s first mechanics institute” – a centre teaching technical subjects – in Edinburgh in Scotland, Heriot-Watt is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the UK and has three campuses in Scotland. It is well-established in the UAE, being the first British university to open in Dubai International Academic City. A wide range of subjects are offered on the Dubai campus. While the university is particularly strong in business and engineering disciplines, it also has degree programmes in contrasting fields such as fashion. Heriot-Watt has another satellite campus, in Putrajaya in Malaysia. In Dubai the university received a five-star ranking from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in 2019 and 2020.
Where is it based?
Dubai Knowledge Park (the new campus replaces the one in Dubai International Academic City)
How has it handled the Covid-19 pandemic?
The blended learning approach followed by the university, together with digitally enabled campus, helped students to engage with on-campus live sessions remotely.
"Students attend all practical sessions. We have not received any major deferral requests – we have witnessed a significant increase in our admissions for our January 2022 intake by close to 10 per cent," the university said.
"Our admissions and student recruitment teams have moved quickly to organise virtual events like our Hybrid Admissions Week that will allow prospective students, parents and working professionals to book an appointment for a consultation with our admissions team and faculty either virtually or on a one-to-one basis.”
What are the fees?
Dh235,200 – bachelor of business administration (four years at Dh58,800 per year)
Dh260,400 – bachelor of science in computer science (four years at Dh65,100 per year)
Dh85,050 – master of science in advanced mechanical engineering (one year)
Dh207,900 – engineering doctorate in construction (four years)
What subjects does it teach?
Bachelor’s degree subjects include accountancy, architecture, business, computer science, cybersecurity, data sciences, engineering, fashion, finance, interior design, management, marketing, psychology, statistics.
Master’s degree programmes include artificial intelligence, business psychology, business analytics, construction project management, digital marketing, energy, logistics and supply chain management, information technology, network security, real estate, software engineering and strategic project management.
Doctoral degree programmes include construction, energy, energy, geoscience, infrastructure and society, engineering and physical sciences, management and languages, mathematical and computer sciences, and psychology.
There are one-year degree entry or foundation programmes tailored to particular undergraduate courses.
What doesn't it teach?
Agriculture, anthropology, archaeology, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, criminology, dentistry, filmmaking, geology, history, journalism, law, medicine, modern languages, music, philosophy, physics, politics, sports science and veterinary medicine.
Where is it ranked globally?
270th – QS World University Rankings (parent university)
501 - 600th – Times Higher Education World University Rankings (parent university)
Who goes there?
There are nearly 4,000 students from 105 countries, with India, Pakistan and China being the major contributors.
Who has gone to the parent university?
- Adam Crozier, a businessman who, in the UK, has run the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, The Football Association, the Royal Mail Group and ITV, one of Britain’s main television networks.
- Irvine Welsh, an author best known for his novel Trainspotting, which deals with urban poverty in Edinburgh.
- Shirley Robinson, who won sailing gold medals in successive Olympic Games, the first British woman to do so.
A note from Prof Ammar Kaka, provost and vice principal:
We were the first university to set foot in Dubai International Academic City in 2005, and today we proudly serve about 4,000 students from around the world, who have joined us in pursuit of a prestigious British qualification.
This growth alone is a testament to our tremendous success and our strong reputation as a well-respected British university in the UAE.
Being a globally connected university, our Dubai campus delivers the equivalent level of academic experience as well as identical standards and learning outcomes as our UK campuses.
With our new digitally enabled campus at Dubai Knowledge Park, we look forward to welcoming our future students in a more stimulating and supportive learning environment.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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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: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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