The United Arab Emirates stops sending students to the United Kingdom for fear of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The radicalism of Western Islam already frightens Arabs themselves.
The decision is part of the Emirates' international strategy against political Islam in the West.
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The United Arab Emirates have begun to restrict the sending of students to universities in the United Kingdom for fear that Islamist groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, radicalise their citizens. The decision does not imply a total ban, but does involve a significant restriction on public funding for higher education in the country.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the case cited by the British newspaper The Times, The Emirati government has begun to reduce federal scholarships for students who wish to study in the United Kingdom. Authorities in Abu Dhabi allege concerns about the influence of political Islam on campuses., as well as on the presence of student organisations that invite Islamist speakers whose speeches flirt with extremism.
The United Kingdom is no longer a priority destination
The Emirates maintain a very generous public scholarship system for studying abroad, managed by the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs. These grants cover tuition fees, living expenses, travel and medical insurance, and are awarded to students with the best academic records in areas considered strategic.
The United Kingdom has ceased to be a priority destination under this system. The Emirati government continues to fund university studies in other countries, while wealthier families can still send their children to British universities by paying the costs out of their own pockets.
A sustained offensive against the Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood is banned in the United Arab Emirates, which considers them a direct threat to its authoritarian but relatively secular and socially liberal political system. Dozens of alleged members have been arrested and imprisoned in the country.
The move to bar the United Kingdom from its students is part of a broader strategy of pressure on Western governments, which it accuses of tolerating the presence and influence of the movement in educational settings. This decision could affect thousands of students and several British universities, in a context of growing debate in Europe over the penetration of political Islam into the academic sphere.
The Emirates have been pressuring Western governments for years to adopt a tougher line against the Muslim Brotherhood. The Emirati decision could have a significant impact on the British university system. The number of students from the Emirates in the United Kingdom has doubled between 2017 and 2024, reaching 8,500 students.
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