UAE pulls state funding for students at UK universities over radicalisation fears

The Gulf state's government has introduced the restrictions after raising concerns over the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group it deems to be a terrorist organisation but which is not proscribed in the UK.

As a result, British universities have been wiped from a list of global academic institutions for which scholarships would be approved and qualifications certified.

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UAE citizens looking to study overseas are able to make use of hefty grants from a programme run by their Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

High-performing students can see their tuition fees, living stipends, travel and health insurance covered by the funding.

When UK officials queried the absence of British universities from the list , they were told the "UAE doesn’t want its kids to be radicalised on campus", a source told the Telegraph.

The UAE has ramped up measures to restrict domestic Islamist activity since the the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, with political Islam limited as part of these efforts.

It was revealed last year that eight organisations in the UK had been deemed terrorist groups by the UAE because of their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

This ranged from property firms to education and video production companies, with most of their directors or senior figures associated with them listed as Emiratis on Companies House documents.

Nigel Farage, who has vowed to ban the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes prime minister, tweeted: "Decent Muslim countries cannot believe how weak the UK is on extremism."

The restrictions will affect only those who rely on state funding, as wealthier families typically send their children to study in the UK by paying their fees out of their own pockets.

However, the lack of UAE recognition for these UK qualifications could prove a deterrent.

UAE student numbers in the UK - which have doubled between 2017 and 2024 to 8,500 - could be significantly impacted by these restrictions.

The highest numbers are at the University of Central Lancashire, followed by the University of Manchester, the University of Leeds, King’s College London and University College London.

The UAE has questioned the UK’s decision not to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood, a matter which Sir Keir Starmer said was under "close review" last year.

David Cameron ordered an inquiry into the Muslim Brotherhood in 2014, which found that group’s beliefs were opposed to British values.

However, there was not enough evidence to justify a ban on the movement.