Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has issued Ministerial Resolution No. (34) of 2025 regarding the recognition of qualifications issued by foreign higher education institutions (HEIs). The new resolution outlines essential conditions, such as verifying the authenticity of qualifications and ensuring that the issuing HEI is legally established, licensed, and accredited by the relevant accreditation body in its home country.
According to Emirates News Agency, Ahmad Ibrahim Alsaadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Operations Sector and Director of the International Education Support and Scholarships Department at MoHESR, noted that the new decision aligns with the Ministry's efforts to streamline the recognition of foreign qualifications. This initiative aims to reduce the time, effort, and documentation required for the process while ensuring the validity of these qualifications. The resolution aligns with the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme and global best educational practices, supporting the Ministry's strategic goal of providing a seamless, flexible, proactive, and excellence-driven educational journey.
Alsaadi further explained that the decision followed a successful pilot launch, which saw the requirements reduced by over 70% compared to the previous system. This led to an increase in the number of students with recognised qualifications from 5,780 to 12,180 compared to last year. The number of required documents was reduced from 14 to four, improving access to recognition data and lowering declined requests from 8.3% to 3.5%, according to pilot launch data.
He stated, "The updated system seamlessly integrates with various local scholarship bodies to streamline the recognition of foreign qualifications, using two unified standards across all specialisations and universities. This enhances the graduate experience, simplifying certificates recognition for employment or continuation of postgraduate studies."
Providing an integrated student journey remains a key strategic priority for MoHESR. The Ministry is comprehensively redesigning this journey to provide a smooth experience that aligns with students' academic and career needs while supporting the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme. Additionally, MoHESR is enhancing its integrated digital services from enrolment to graduation, enabling seamless entry into the labour market.