The United Arab Emirates has launched a new fast-track licensing and accreditation process for universities, significantly reducing the approval time for new academic programmes from several months to just one week. This initiative, announced by officials from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), is part of the UAE government’s Zero Bureaucracy initiative, which aims to streamline processes across various sectors.

Previously, the approval process for new academic programmes was lengthy, involving multiple site visits and causing delays in launching new courses. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has implemented this new framework to enhance the country’s status as an education hub and support the swift rollout of programmes.

Education leaders are optimistic about the reforms. Dr. Rawan Ghali, Director of Institutional Effectiveness at the American University in Dubai, noted that the new system allows universities to respond quickly to market demands. She mentioned that her institution had already benefited from the faster process with the accreditation of its Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development programme. Ghali explained that the previous timeframe for licensing and accreditation could span six to nine months or longer, but now qualified institutions can achieve this in as little as one week.

Dr. Adam Fenech, Provost of Canadian University Dubai, echoed these sentiments, stating that the new system vastly simplifies procedures. He pointed out that institutional licensure can now be obtained within one week if a local license exists, requiring only a single site visit. Similarly, new programme accreditations are designed to be completed within the same timeframe, followed by a verification visit before the programme starts.

In line with international best practices, the MoHESR has also introduced mid-cycle evaluation visits to monitor the improvement of universities, ensuring that academic standards remain high. Professor Souri Banerjee, Director of BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, commented that the new licensing and accreditation process aids universities meeting required standards by allowing them to obtain the Initial Institutional Licensure (IIL) and Initial Program Accreditation (IPA) in a shorter timeframe without compromising academic quality.

The new approval process emphasizes evidence-based documentation and continuous monitoring, focusing on outcome-based evaluation through 24 predefined key performance indicators (KPIs) across six pillars. Banerjee stated that this approach helps assess quality upfront, minimizing lengthy evaluations while maintaining rigor and ensuring that institutions uphold high academic and operational standards over time.