Aerial photo of a Dubai city highway curving between high-rise residential towers.

United Arab Emirates Assessed at admission for the autumn 2026 and spring 2027 intakes — apply early, the international scholarship allocation is limited

University of Dubai Merit Scholarship

The University of Dubai (UD) is a small, business-focused institution owned by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and its merit scholarship is refreshingly simple: your discount is set by your school-leaving percentage. Score 90% or above and you get 50% off tuition; lower bands sit at roughly 30% and 20%. There is no essay, no interview and no nomination — the award falls out of your admission grades. Two honest caveats before you build a plan around it. First, UD states that scholarship funds for international students are limited, so a Sri Lankan applicant is competing for a smaller pool than a UAE-resident applicant with the same grades — apply as early in the intake as you can. Second, the discount attaches to tuition only and must be maintained: you need to hold a minimum CGPA through your degree or the discount drops away. For a Sri Lankan student with strong A/Ls or a high Cambridge/Edexcel profile who wants an English-medium business degree close to home, a 50% tuition cut in Dubai is a genuinely useful number — just price the rest of Dubai honestly, because accommodation and living costs in the city are not modest.

University of Dubai

University-funded

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Value

Up to 50% Tuition Discount

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Basis

School-Leaving Percentage Band

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Renewal

Maintain the required CGPA

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90%+ for the Top Band

The 50% discount goes to applicants with an outstanding secondary result — 90% or equivalent. Lower bands (around 30% and 20%) apply below that. Sri Lankan A/L, Cambridge A Level and Edexcel results are converted to UD's percentage scale during admission.

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Open to International Students — but Limited

Sri Lankan citizens can apply, but the University of Dubai states plainly that funds for international students are limited. Treat the discount as competitive rather than automatic, and apply in the earliest possible intake window.

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CGPA Maintenance Condition

The discount continues only while you hold the minimum CGPA attached to your band. Drop below it and you revert to full tuition — a real risk in a first year abroad, so keep a financial buffer.

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Tuition Only

Accommodation, health insurance, the UAE student residence visa, transport and living costs in Dubai are all excluded. Dubai rents are high; budget for them separately from the discounted tuition figure.

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Get your Sri Lankan documents attested

A/L certificates and school transcripts generally need attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo followed by the UAE Embassy. This routinely takes weeks — start before you apply, not after you get an offer.

Apply for undergraduate admission

Submit the University of Dubai application with your transcripts and English evidence. There is no separate scholarship form for the standard merit discount — the band is derived from your admission grades.

Confirm your band in writing

Ask for the discount percentage, the CGPA you must maintain, and how long it applies to be stated in your offer letter. Do not rely on a verbal quote from an agent.

Accept, pay and arrange your residence visa

After accepting, UD sponsors your UAE student residence visa. You will complete a medical test and Emirates ID registration in Dubai. These are separate costs from tuition.

Why University of Dubai?

The University of Dubai is owned by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which gives its business school unusually direct links to Dubai's commercial sector — internships and graduate placement lean on that relationship. It is deliberately small and teaching-focused rather than a research giant, with English-medium business, IT and law programmes. For Sri Lankan students, the pull is proximity: a four-hour flight, an established Sri Lankan community in the Emirates, and a labour market where UAE-earned business qualifications are directly recognised.