The dream began with the Charter of Abu Dhabi University in the year 2000, by his Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other distinguished citizens of the United Arab Emirates. After three years of planning, the university opened its doors in September 2003, to 1,000 students in its two campuses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Before enrolling students, Abu Dhabi University has taken all necessary procedures to secure accreditation for all its degree programs from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The founders of the university envisioned an institution that would be among the best in the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Gulf region and throughout the world.
This is a great challenge for a new institution of higher learning, but one that can and will be attained in the years ahead. Abu Dhabi University's programs, encompassing a variety of different cultures and structures, mirror the past and present of our society and anticipate the emerging future needs of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees based on the American model of higher education, as well as several professional diploma and postgraduate programs, utilising the British system of postsecondary education. The official language of the university is English; however, the university offers degree and diploma programs both in English and Arabic.
