The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is removing funding for its citizens to study in the United Kingdom, citing concerns they could be radicalised abroad.
The move means the UAE has removed British universities from a list of higher education institutions eligible for state scholarships amid growing tensions over London’s decision not to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, The Financial Times reported.
“[The UAE] don’t want their kids to be radicalized on campus,” a person directly involved with the decision told the outlet.
Since then, Emirati students who have applied to their government for scholarships to study in the UK have been denied.
The move also means that the UAE will not recognize qualifications from academic institutions that are not on its accredited list, rendering degrees from UK universities less valuable than others, according to the report.
“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 UK universities were reported for possible referral to the government’s deradicalization program, the report states.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has repeatedly questioned the UK’s decision to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
Starmer’s administration last year said the matter was under “close review”.
Originally published as UAE cuts funding for citizens studying at UK universities over campus radicalization fears: report