Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has opened applications for the third cohort of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme for the 2026-27 academic year. Eligible students can apply through the ‘Emirati’ section on the Dubai Now app, with applications closing on 30 June.
The scholarship is open to Emirati students who have completed high school during the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 academic years. Students must hold a family book from Dubai and should not have received any other scholarship offers. Applicants should also have received a conditional or unconditional offer from an eligible university and academic programme that meets the scholarship criteria, and scholarship recipients must commit to full-time study in the host country.
Launched in 2024 under the directives 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, the programme aims to support the development of exceptional Emirati students by providing access to leading global universities.
With a total budget of Dhs 1.1 billion, the programme offers 100 fully funded scholarships annually to outstanding Emirati graduates from public and private schools across various curricula, enabling them to pursue bachelor’s degrees in future-focused fields that add strategic value to key sectors and contribute to preparing a new generation of leaders and innovators capable of driving Dubai’s continued development.
In its first two years, the programme attracted strong interest from high-achieving Emirati students. Approximately 70% of current scholarship recipients are enroled at universities ranked among the top 100 globally.
Dr. Amna Almaazmi, CEO of Growth and Human Development at KHDA said: “The Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme reflects our leadership’s vision to develop highly qualified Emirati talent capable of contributing to a prosperous future for their country. The diversity of specialised fields pursued by scholarship students highlights the programme’s pivotal role in building future leadership capabilities by equipping outstanding Emirati students with knowledge, global exposure and leadership skills, while supporting them in achieving their ambitions and contributing meaningfully to the UAE’s development journey.”