The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai on April 8 for the establishment of the IIMA Dubai Campus. The MoU was exchanged by Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, and His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE; and Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. This partnership marks a significant step in IIMA’s journey towards global leadership in management education.
The IIMA Dubai campus will be established in two phases. In the first phase, IIMA will be provided with space in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s premier higher education hub with a multicultural environment. The campus will provide access to cutting-edge academic resources to inspire innovation and foster excellence. In the second phase of campus development, IIMA will be provided with land where the permanent campus will come up and be operational from 2029.
Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Mr Pankaj Patel, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA, said, “As a leading global management institution, IIMA has always been expanding the frontiers of management research, leadership, and education. We are extremely happy to start our full-fledged campus in Dubai with the support of the Government of Dubai this year. Over the next decade, we envision this to be a thriving centre where young leaders of tomorrow will hone their skills, innovate and become pathfinders. As we create new learning experiences globally, we remain committed to transformative learning, leadership, and creating enduring impact in the community.”
Highlighting the significance of this strategic milestone, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “Dubai has emerged as a thriving global epicentre for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship, making it the ideal location for us to establish our first international campus. Our objective is to provide high-quality management education to aspiring leaders in the Middle East and surrounding regions. We are excited to collaborate with the UAE Government to set up a state-of-the-art campus within the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s premier higher education hub. I am confident that this synergy will set new benchmarks for academic and research collaboration in Asia and the Middle East. Dubai offers unparalleled opportunities to engage with industry leaders, multinational corporations, and high-growth startups. While this collaboration strengthens IIMA’s commitment to offering world-class management education, it will also foster cross-cultural exchanges that will prepare our graduates to thrive in a globalised environment. Our presence in Dubai offers unparalleled access to international markets, world-class faculty, and a diverse, high-achieving peer group alongside IIM Ahmedabad’s legacy of academic rigour and international exposure for personal and professional growth. Our presence in Dubai will also strengthen our offerings in India, and together, these two campuses will help us become a global leader in management education with a seamless exchange of innovation and knowledge. We have successfully grown our full-time One-year MBA programme for the last 20 years, and it will be the first programme that we will offer in the Dubai Campus.”
Speaking on the collaboration, Mr Hadi Badri, CEO, Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), said, “The launch of IIMA’s Dubai Campus is poised to further underline the city’s global reputation as a hub for talent, innovation and entrepreneurship, providing a platform to further elevate business leadership skills not just within Dubai itself, but across the wider region. Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the direction of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, we are committed to leveraging global partnerships and educational excellence to drive economic impact, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33. This partnership further underlines the strong economic and social links between Dubai and India, and we look forward to working with IIMA to firmly establish the institution within Dubai’s academic and business landscape.”
Applauding the partnership between IIMA and the UAE government, His Excellency Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, said, “The signing of MoU between IIMA and Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism in the august presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is truly a watershed moment in India-UAE bilateral partnership. This development epitomizes the close traditional friendship, the robustness of the economic partnership, and the strong trust that the two countries have for each other. With a resident Indian diaspora strength of 4.36 million as at the end of 2024, the largest concentration of Indian nationals outside the country, UAE seems to be a natural destination for iconic temples of higher learning from India who intend to expand their footprint globally. IIMA campus in Dubai will bring the best of Indian management education to Indians in UAE and the wider region, our Emirati friends, and the truly global expat population which calls Dubai their home. IIMA Dubai campus will be the best addition till date to Dubai & UAE’s higher education landscape, potentially transforming and further solidifying UAE’s growing status not just as the global logistics, economic and financial hub but a crucial education hub that services the diverse sectors of global economy by producing high quality professionals.”
