University of Birmingham Dubai breaks ground on mega campus

The new campus will be able to accommodate more than 4,000 students by 2026

(L-R) Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA; Sir David Eastwood, Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham; Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of DShow more

The University of Birmingham Dubai broke ground on the second phase of its 50,000 square metre campus in Dubai International Academic City on Thursday.

The expansion of the campus, from 2,500m sq, includes a new lecture theatre that can seat 300 students and 10 laboratories.

Construction on the new campus, located opposite Dubai’s first purpose-built student housing complex, is expected to be complete by September next year.

The university plans to offer courses not yet available in the UAE including specialisations in business with marketing, clinical psychology and master’s degrees in artificial intelligence and computer science.

The expansion also means the university will be able to take on many more students.

"We can accommodate 1,000 students at this campus at present, and the new campus will be able to accommodate 2,900 by 2023, while we hope to have just over 4,000 students by 2026," said vice chancellor prof Sir David Eastwood.

At present, the university has 200 students and runs 14 bachelors and masters programmes.

"We will have new facilities and the ability to teach larger numbers.

Two thirds of the student body is made up from local residents while the remaining 40 per cent came from overseas. The majority of the international students come from China, North Africa, India and Pakistan.

Ben Bailey, director of campus operations, said students would be able to move between the two universities in Dubai and the UK.

He said five students from the Dubai campus are currently at the Birmingham campus for a year of study abroad. International students in the UK and Dubai pay the same fees.

"We want to start by asking what the important issues for Dubai and the UAE are where we can make a contribution," said Mr Bailey.

"This campus is also a hope through which we want to bring the best of Birmingham to Dubai, so our research efforts will have an impact on the country.”

The university currently offers 14 programmes in business, international commercial law, civil engineering, economics, money, banking and finance, accounting, and psychology.

"We are looking at extending our law school offerings to specialisations in arbitration and dispute, maritime law, aviation industry and law," he said.

The University of Birmingham was the first global top 100 and UK Russell Group university to establish a campus in Dubai in September 2018.