The Federal Decree Law aims to regulate the higher education and scientific research sector, strengthen governance and effective management of higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
The legislation also aims to enhance the quality and competitiveness of higher education to further align educational outcomes with labour market requirements, while supporting lifelong learning for all graduates.
The provisions of the Federal Decree Law apply to all higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions across the UAE, including the free zones.
The Decree Law affirms the integration of the higher education system with the education system within a sustainable future-oriented vision, defines the stages of higher education in alignment with the levels of the National Qualifications Framework, and obliges institutions to develop academic programmes characterised by innovation, flexibility, and forward-thinking approaches that keep pace with scientific and technological developments and meet labour market needs.
The Decree Law regulates the national frameworks governing higher education and scientific research, including the national framework for licensing higher education institutions, the national qualifications framework, the national framework for classification, quality performance, and oversight, the national framework for scientific research in higher education institutions, and the national framework for technical and vocational education and training.
It also enables competent local authorities to issue complementary local frameworks, provided they do not conflict with national requirements.
The Decree Law sets out clear rules for licensing higher education institutions and prohibits the establishment or operation of any institution, or the provision or promotion of higher education programmes and services, without obtaining institutional licensure from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in accordance with approved conditions and requirements.
These include the provision of financial guarantees, fulfilment of local permits, and compliance with health, safety, and security standards. It further regulates the validity and renewal of licences, additional grace periods, and the measures resulting from non-compliance, and defines the controls governing the transfer or cancellation of licences, while ensuring appropriate measures to safeguard the status of enrolled students.
The Decree Law also regulates programmes’ accreditation, prohibiting higher education institutions from offering, promoting, advertising, admitting students, or commencing studies in any academic programme before obtaining programme accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The new legislation specifies the validity period of programme accreditation, evaluation procedures, and renewal processes.
Furthermore, it allows for the accreditation of academic programmes that have already received international accreditations without requiring a re-accreditation process or additional fees, provided that the higher education institution holds an institutional licence in the UAE, the international accreditation body is reputable and accredited by the Ministry, and the international accreditation body's standards are no lower than the national accreditation standards.
According to the Decree-Law, all licensed higher education institutions in the UAE are subject to periodic classification and evaluation processes conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Ministry shall publish the results of the higher education institution classifications and make them available after approval by the Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council and approval by the UAE Cabinet.
The Decree-law establishes clear obligations for higher education institutions, including obtaining approval from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the relevant local authority, in some cases, before implementing any substantial changes, adding new academic facilities such as colleges, institutes, and centres, closing existing academic units, or making any major modifications to their academic programmes.
The decree mandates that higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions offering e-learning or blended learning programmes implement quality assurance standards in accordance with approved national frameworks and subject their programmes to independent academic or professional accreditation to ensure the effectiveness of educational outcomes.
It also requires them to adopt innovative and flexible teaching methods that consider the specific characteristics of online education, guarantee data protection and intellectual property rights, and promote interaction and active participation between students and faculty members.
The Decree Law includes specific regulatory provisions for higher education institutions in free zones. These institutions are required to obtain authorisation from the relevant local authority and institutional licensing from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to operate. The Ministry grants the institutional licence to institutions holding local authorisation without requiring them to repeat the licensing procedures or pay additional fees.
The Decree Law stipulates that technical and vocational education and training institutions obtain approval from the relevant local authority and institutional accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research before offering any vocational or technical programmes culminating in qualifications placed within the National Qualifications Framework.
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