Will West Asia tensions dent Dubai's appeal for Indian students? Explained

Impact on Indians in Dubai: Rising regional tensions trigger fresh safety concerns even as Dubai remains a popular and cost-effective study destination for Indian families

Concerns are mounting over the safety of Indian students and other Indians stranded abroad as tensions escalate in West Asia, with tit-for-tat strikes involving Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other. The situation has raised fresh questions about whether the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Dubai in particular, could see its growing appeal as a study destination for Indian students affected.

 

According to Sanjay Laul, Founder of MSM Unify, an education marketplace, the developments are already influencing sentiment among Indian students and parents considering the UAE and nearby regions for higher education.

 

Currently, the UAE hosts 247,325 Indian school students and 6,507 Indian higher education students, according to data from the Ministry of External Affairs.

   

While school enrolment forms the bulk of the numbers, Indian students account for 42 per cent of international students in Dubai’s higher education sector.

 

A December 2025 report by Leverage Edu, a talent mobility platform, recorded a 40-fold rise in student applications from India and neighbouring countries to Dubai since 2023.

 

The findings, based on platform activity across the UAE and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), point to Dubai’s rapidly growing position as a preferred study destination for Indian students, driven by affordability, proximity, globally recognised programmes and strong career pathways.

 

Impact on student sentiment

 

Laul said that as the UAE has developed into one of the most trusted international education hubs over the past two decades, any geopolitical escalation in the region could affect student mobility, air connectivity and overall confidence in academic planning.

 

“The UAE has built itself over the last two decades as one of the world’s most trusted and safest international education hubs. When there is a period of geopolitical escalation in the region, confidence among students, planning for travel and institutional investments are all undermined. International education is highly perception-driven, and uncertainty around safety or air connectivity can slow decision-making among students and parents.

 

“At present, there is no immediate impact on Indian students planning to study in the UAE or the wider Middle East. It is largely a wait-and-watch situation, though anxiety levels are quite visible. Parents and students are actively reaching out with queries around safety, visa timelines, and academic continuity in the region. If the conflict continues and further escalates and prolongs, we do foresee a long-term impact, as parents across globe follow a strict no-risk policy in war-like situations and discourage students to pursue these destinations. In the current situation institutions and education providers will also have to just sit tight and wait for the situation to come under control,” Laul said.

 

“There is a strong possibility of a shift in demand towards other global destinations, which are perceived as more stable in the current geopolitical climate. There may be a temporary 5–7 per cent immediate impact on student mobility. For now, decision-making is cautious, not reactive, but sentiment can change quickly depending on how the situation unfolds,” he said.

 

Why Indian students choose Dubai

 

Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO of Leverage Edu, said Dubai has emerged as a compelling alternative to traditional destinations such as the US and the UK for Indian families.

 

“Several international branch campuses in Dubai now offer globally recognised postgraduate programmes at AED 50,000–85,000 per year, lower than their parent campuses abroad. When combined with generally lower living costs than London or major US cities, families can expect roughly 20–40 per cent lower total annual costs in Dubai, though exact savings vary by programme, university, scholarships, and housing preferences,” Chaturvedi said.

 

Dubai’s proximity to India, safety standards and student-support systems have also added to its appeal. Universities such as Middlesex University Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, University of Birmingham Dubai and University of Wollongong Dubai have played a central role in this growth, offering internationally aligned curricula with industry linkages and internship pathways.

 

Students are also responding to Dubai’s employment ecosystem. Internship-linked programmes supported through regulated MOHRE pathways allow students to gain structured work experience during their studies, often leading to early exposure in the region’s job market. Hiring demand in Dubai remains strong in areas such as artificial intelligence and data roles, hospitality, tourism and finance.

 

Tensions seen as temporary

 

Akshat Sherawat, Business Head (India) at Garant In, said the current tensions appear temporary rather than structural.

 

“The UAE has already shown that its air-defence systems, crisis response and security coordination can contain such shocks and restore normalcy quickly. The core business districts remain secure, and the authorities’ focus has been squarely on maintaining continuity and protecting residents and global tourists with utmost care and concern,” he told Business Standard.

 

Meanwhile, 84 MBA students from Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies (ISBS), who were in Dubai for an annual five-day study tour, are among those stranded in the city.

 

Forty students were scheduled to return to Pune on Saturday, while the remaining 44 were due to board a flight on Sunday. “All are safe and have been moved to a hotel,” ISBS Dean Janardhan Pawar said.

 

The students from the Indira School of Business Studies had travelled to Dubai as part of the annual academic visit.