The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a significant shift in its educational policy by withdrawing financial support for its citizens who wish to study in the United Kingdom. This decision stems from concerns that students may be at risk of radicalization while abroad.

This development comes as the UAE has excluded British universities from its list of approved higher education institutions eligible for state-sponsored scholarships. The decision is aligned with ongoing diplomatic friction over the U.K.’s stance against labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, as reported by The Financial Times.

An individual directly connected to the decision-making process explained, “The UAE is apprehensive about the potential radicalization of their students on U.K. campuses.”

Illustrating the tension, a banner reading “Welcome to the People’s University for Palestine” was prominently displayed at King’s College, University of Cambridge, in May 2024, highlighting the complex political landscape. (Image credit: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)

In light of these changes, Emirati students applying for government scholarships to study in the U.K. have found their requests denied. This policy shift also affects the recognition of degrees from British institutions, which will no longer hold the same value as those from UAE-accredited universities, according to reports.

The move also means that the UAE will not recognize qualifications from academic institutions that are not on its accredited list, rendering degrees from U.K. universities less valuable than others, according to the report. 

The skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where funding for its citizens to study in the United Kingdom has been halted.  (Vidhyaa Chandramohan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“All forms of extremism have absolutely no place in our society, and we will stamp them out wherever they are found,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said in a statement. “We offer one of the best education systems in the world and maintain stringent measures on student welfare and on-campus safety.”

The UAE has taken a hardline approach to Islamist movements abroad and at home. 

During the 2023-24 school year, 70 students at U.K. universities were reported for possible referral to the government’s deradicalization program, the report states. 

Starmer’s administration last year said the matter was under “close review.”