Researchers investigate the use of date pits to produce biodiesel in a laboratory at UAE University in Al Ain. Reem Mohammed / The National
Researchers investigate the use of date pits to produce biodiesel in a laboratory at UAE University in Al Ain. Reem Mohammed / The National
Researchers investigate the use of date pits to produce biodiesel in a laboratory at UAE University in Al Ain. Reem Mohammed / The National
Researchers investigate the use of date pits to produce biodiesel in a laboratory at UAE University in Al Ain. Reem Mohammed / The National

UAE University is the country's top higher education institution, report shows


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Universities across the UAE are continuing to enhance their academic performance, according to the latest world rankings.

Researchers found the Emirates was improving in numerous fields, including business management and civil and electrical engineering.

The annual poll, called the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, looked at more than 13,000 courses at 1,368 universities in 83 countries.

This year, UAE University jumped up in the business and management studies segment from the 351-400 band to 301- 350.

Similarly, the American University of Sharjah and Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi saw significant improvements in their rankings.

“This year’s edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject offers us the opportunity to shine a light on an ever-greater segment of the UAE’s higher education sector,” said Jack Moran, a spokesman for QS.

“We are observing creditworthy improvements made by the country’s universities, with Khalifa University making particularly strong progress.

“The UAE’s performance is strongest in our research indicators, though, to make further progress, it must improve its recognition and regard among the global academic community.”

Quacquarelli Symonds, a global education research consultancy, compared the world’s higher education institutions on the basis of four criteria.

Its researchers looked at academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations and the productivity of the institution's research faculty.

UAE University improved its ranking in five subject areas but dropped in three.

Meanwhile, the American University of Sharjah had two of its programmes ranked in the top 200 global institutions.

The university was ranked in the 151-200 bracket for civil and structural engineering while Khalifa University ranked 251-300 in electrical and electronic engineering.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology was found to be the world’s best-performing institution in 12 subject fields, while the University of Oxford was named the world’s best university in eight.

This year’s poll also showed the UK higher education sector was beginning to regain ground it had lost over the past few years.

In 2016, 13.3 per cent of the world’s top 100 university programmes were found in the UK, but this dropped to 12.3 per cent of programmes in 2019. This year's ranking saw an increase for the first time in five years with 12.8 per cent of the top 10 positions occupied by UK universities.

"Despite the uncertainty created by a consistently-shifting higher education landscape, with two changes of government and the well-documented difficulties presented by our exit from the European Union, our institutions appear to have responded to the challenge, continuing to offer some of the best university programmes in the world,” said Ben Sowter, director of research at QS.

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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  • 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
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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

Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

Eyasses squad

Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)

Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)  

Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)

Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)

Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)

Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)

Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)

Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)

Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)

Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)

Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)         

Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Match info

Karnataka Tuskers 110-3

J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16

Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs

K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets