Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme honours first graduates

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has affirmed Dubai’s commitment to continued investment in national talent and capabilities, and to empowering Emiratis through high-quality educational opportunities at leading global universities and academic institutions. He noted that these opportunities help develop their capabilities, prepare them to lead the development journey, and build a new generation of national leaders who can shape the future of Dubai and the UAE.

His Highness further noted that building qualified national human capital capable of leading future transformations is a cornerstone of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This vision is grounded in investing in people and in providing national talent and high-achieving students with the best education and development pathways. This approach is a direct investment in Dubai’s future and strengthens the readiness of national talent to contribute to priority sectors and emerging fields. It also supports the objectives of the Dubai Plan 2033, including its economic and social agendas, and the Education 33 (E33) Strategy. Additionally, it reinforces Dubai’s position as a global model for human development and leadership.

His Highness said: “Emirati scholarship students carry Dubai’s and the UAE’s ambitions towards new horizons. We believe every educational journey begins with a dream, but its true value is realised when that dream is transformed into knowledge, experience and achievement in service to their country.”

His Highness emphasised that the value of scholarships extends beyond earning an academic qualification to preparing a generation capable of turning knowledge and experience into national achievement. He said: “Every student we sponsor today is an investment in Dubai’s future. Empowering every student is a priority in building future national leaders who create opportunities. Our responsibility is to provide our young people with the best learning opportunities in the world, and their responsibility is to transform these opportunities into knowledge, achievement and impact that serve their country and community.”

A distinguished cohort
The third cohort of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme attended an orientation session held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

The event was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai; Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority; His Excellency Essa Al Mutaiwei, Deputy Director General of His Highness The Ruler’s Court; and members of the steering committee of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme.

The event also celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship recipients. The six graduates completed degrees in architecture, economics and finance, sustainability and engineering, Asian and Middle Eastern studies, and IT and data analytics.

Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of KHDA, said: “The Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme embodies the vision of our wise leadership to invest in people and supports the objectives of Dubai’s Education 33 Strategy by developing qualified Emirati talent to lead the sectors of the future and by strengthening the global competitiveness of Emirati graduates.”

She added: “We are committed to providing our outstanding students with a supportive environment offering academic, psychological and specialised support throughout their university journey, ensuring their academic and personal success while strengthening their capabilities and developing their leadership, independence, resilience and innovation. For the programme, scholarships represent a long-term investment in developing national leaders capable of transforming knowledge and experience into developmental impact that serves Dubai and the UAE.”

During the orientation sessions, scholarship students and their parents learned about the range of services offered by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme and the next steps in their scholarship journey, with members of the programme’s Steering Committee and partner entities present. Partner organisations, including IDP Education, supported the sessions. Students were also provided with a scholarship student guide containing key information about their journey, including details of the services available to them throughout their studies.

The Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme continues to strengthen its role as a strategic initiative supporting human capital development and preparing national talent in fields aligned with Dubai’s future priorities.
The programme supported 152 students across its first two cohorts, studying at around 44 universities and higher education institutions in the UAE and abroad, including universities ranked among the world’s top 10. Eighty-seven Hamdan bin Mohammed scholars are enrolled at universities ranked among the world’s top 100.

The programme’s third cohort comprises around 100 students and spans seven key fields of study: artificial intelligence and digital technologies; engineering; medicine and life sciences; business, finance and economics; policy, law and social sciences; natural sciences; and creative fields, media and design.

Applicants are selected based on rigorous criteria, including academic excellence at the secondary school level, the international ranking of the university and its academic programme, and alignment between the chosen field of study and the requirements and needs of Dubai’s future economic sectors.

The increase in the number of beneficiaries reflects the programme’s expanding reach and impact as it continues to build a sustainable talent ecosystem and strengthen the readiness of Emirati talent to contribute to Dubai’s future development.

Launched as part of Dubai Social Agenda 33, the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme, with an endowment of AED1.1 billion, provides 100 scholarships annually to Emirati students accepted to leading universities worldwide.

The scholarship is open to outstanding Emirati students who have graduated from public and private schools in the UAE. It covers tuition, living expenses, and travel costs. Applicants must hold a Dubai family book and should not have received any other scholarship offers.

The steering committee of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme is responsible for approving the programme’s vision, objectives and strategic plan, as well as its unified scholarship policy across the emirate. It also approves the programme’s budget and financial plan, establishes subcommittees and working groups, and defines their mandates and operating mechanisms.

Dubai Pioneers
Earlier, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sent text messages to Dubai’s top-performing students, congratulating them on their achievements and encouraging them to continue their journey of excellence and to contribute their knowledge and ambition to shaping Dubai’s future. His Highness also sent similar messages to their parents, appreciating their role in their children’s success, which would not have been achieved without their support.

The high-achieving students, recognised as part of the Dubai Pioneers programme for honouring and supporting top-performing students for the 2025–26 academic year, along with scholarship students and their parents, expressed their gratitude for the support and care they received from the UAE’s leadership under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and thanked him for supporting and nurturing talent in various sectors.

The students attended a recognition ceremony hosted by KHDA during the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme orientation event.

The event was also attended by recipients of the Ruler’s Court Scholarship. The scholarship supports outstanding Emirati high school graduates from different curricula to pursue undergraduate studies at leading higher education institutions across a range of accredited fields.