‘Ministry of Higher Education’ automatically recognises qualifications of graduates from 41 universities across UAE

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research continues to expand the Automatic Recognition of Academic and Professional Qualifications initiative for qualifications issued by higher education institutions in the UAE.

The initiative currently covers 41 universities, with 20,536 qualifications automatically recognised as of mid-August 2026.

The initiative supports the UAE Government‘s digital transformation and Zero Bureaucracy drive by enabling graduates of participating institutions to have their qualifications recognised automatically upon graduation without submitting a separate application.

The service operates through direct electronic integration between the Ministry and higher education institutions.

As part of its efforts to expand the initiative, the Ministry held coordination meetings with accredited higher education institutions across the UAE to accelerate participation and develop the service into a proactive digital experience.

The first meeting brought together 41 institutions currently benefiting from the initiative to review progress and performance. The second meeting targeted 45 higher education institutions preparing to join the initiative to strengthen the readiness of the system for wider implementation. Meanwhile, electronic integration is currently being completed with 18 universities, paving the way for their formal participation in the initiative.

The meetings addressed the initiative’s objectives, the role of higher education institutions and technical requirements for electronic integration, registration, testing and launch, with the aim of ensuring secure and seamless data and document transfers.

Abdulwahab Abdullah Al Jamhi, Director of the Higher Education Qualifications Recognition Services Department, said, “The Automatic Recognition of Academic Qualifications initiative is contributing to a simpler and more efficient experience for graduates by moving from traditional processes based on application submission and manual review to a proactive digital service built on direct integration with higher education institutions.

“We continue to work closely with institutions to complete their participation in the initiative and monitor the performance of existing integrations. This will accelerate the recognition of graduates’ qualifications, enhance the integration and reliability of data, and strengthen graduates’ readiness to enter the labour market.”

Al Jamhi said cooperation from participating institutions had helped turn the initiative into a national model for proactive digital government services, urging other institutions to accelerate their participation.

Under the initiative, participating institutions electronically transmit graduates’ certificates, transcripts, and related data to the Ministry’s systems. The information is then verified and the recognition process completed, after which the recognised documents are returned electronically to the institution and added to the student’s digital wallet.

The service also provides digital access to qualifications through channels including university portals and the UAE Pass, while offering secure mechanisms for verifying the authenticity of qualifications.

The Automatic Recognition initiative has also supported the employment of more than 9,837 Emirati graduates by automatically creating Nafis profiles for beneficiaries whose qualifications have been recognised.

The process for institutions to join the initiative includes providing the required technical documentation and implementation timelines, holding preliminary meetings to clarify roles and responsibilities, completing registration and integration procedures, providing training and technical support, and conducting the necessary tests before moving to full operation.

Integration arrangements vary depending on the type of institution—federal, local, or private—to accommodate the approved channels and systems applicable to each category.

The Ministry continues to monitor the performance and utilisation of the service in coordination with higher education institutions to speed up processing and reduce required procedures, documents and visits, in line with the UAE’s digital transformation and Zero Bureaucracy objectives.