DUBAI, 29th October, 2026 (WAM) -- The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has reported an 18% increase in the total number of applications submitted to higher education institutions through the National Unified Registration and Admission Platform during the 2026–2027 academic year, compared with the previous year.
The increase reflects the continued development of the platform's services under the unified digital higher education portal, EduHub, which has helped simplify the student journey through an integrated service delivered in partnership with relevant entities, while improving the efficiency of application, admission and enrolment procedures at higher education institutions.
The increase in applications submitted through the platform during the first semester of the 2026–2027 academic year demonstrates its effectiveness and highlights the importance of advanced digital solutions in streamlining registration and admission procedures and helping students complete their higher education enrolment requirements, in collaboration with relevant entities.
Applications from National Service graduates submitted through the platform rose by 116.7% compared with the previous year, while the number of admitted students in this category increased by 70%. These figures reflect the growing uptake of registration and admission services among National Service graduates and support efforts to expand access to higher education and facilitate their transition to higher education institutions.
The Ministry emphasised that these indicators reflect its ongoing efforts to develop admission policies, expand access to higher education and provide diverse academic pathways that enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills required by the labour market, in line with the UAE's economic and development priorities and future needs.
It explained that improvements to registration and admission services are complemented by a real-time data integration system connecting the Ministry with higher education institutions. This enables continuous monitoring of admission and enrolment indicators and enhances the efficiency of admission management in accordance with sector regulations and approved national frameworks.
Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Baloushi, Director of the Higher Education Student Support Department at MoHESR, said: "These figures reflect the success of the updated National Unified Registration and Admission Platform in simplifying the student journey and expanding access to registration and admission services. They also reaffirm the Ministry's continued commitment to delivering a seamless digital experience that supports students in making informed decisions about their academic and professional futures."
Dr. Al Baloushi attributed the growth in applications and admissions to continuous improvements to the platform, which have made procedures simpler and more flexible. He also highlighted the platform's ability to enable students to select multiple higher education institutions based on their academic preferences and the institutions they wish to attend.
The Ministry explained that the development of admission policies and criteria forms part of a comprehensive vision to enhance the flexibility of the higher education system and its ability to accommodate students' diverse needs and academic pathways, while maintaining the quality of educational outcomes and aligning them with the requirements of priority economic sectors.
It noted that the UAE's higher education system has made significant progress in recent years, with greater emphasis on governance, ensuring the quality of educational outcomes and responding to the future needs of the labour market and priority sectors. The Ministry also highlighted that institutional performance is subject to continuous monitoring and evaluation.
The Ministry added that granting universities greater flexibility in setting admission criteria does not mean relaxing quality requirements. Rather, it forms part of an evolving governance model that moves beyond a primary focus on regulating inputs towards a more comprehensive approach that links institutional autonomy with accountability for results and outcomes.
These indicators reflect MoHESR's continued efforts to develop the National Unified Registration and Admission Platform under the EduHub portal, in collaboration with its partners, to improve the efficiency of registration and admission procedures and enhance the student experience throughout the different stages of their educational journey.
In June 2026, the Ministry launched an updated, AI-powered version of the platform to support and simplify the student journey and help students plan their futures by making it easier to register and choose from available higher education institutions and academic programmes.
The platform was developed in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Education to ensure the integration of data and procedures between general education and higher education. This enhances students' ability to plan their academic pathways and make more informed decisions about their educational futures.
The updated platform features a completely redesigned user interface that combines simplicity and clarity, with three main interfaces tailored to students, schools and higher education institutions, providing a seamless and user-friendly digital experience.
This development forms part of the Ministry's efforts to leverage data and artificial intelligence applications to enhance the efficiency of government services and eliminate bureaucracy, improving the customer experience while strengthening the flexibility and innovation of the UAE's higher education system.
The platform enables Grade 10 and Grade 11 students to begin planning their academic pathways early by searching, browsing and exploring academic programmes offered by higher education institutions without submitting applications.
Students in Grade 12 and above can submit applications for admission to higher education institutions through a fully digital process, from uploading documents to tracking admission decisions. Grade 12 students can create personal profiles and submit multiple applications without having to re-enter their information.