Academic City Company Setup
The campus district for international universities and higher education.
- Ownership
- 100% foreign
- Setup time
- 4 to 12 weeks with approvals
- Licence cost
- from AED 20,000
- Visas
- Tied to facilities
Dubai International Academic City hosts branch campuses of universities from the UK, Australia, India and beyond, making it the region's largest higher-education cluster. Student housing, shared facilities and KHDA oversight infrastructure surround the campuses.
Education ventures beyond full universities, colleges, vocational institutes, education-technology firms serving the cluster, also license here, benefiting from proximity to tens of thousands of students and the established academic approval pathways.
Who Academic City suits
- University branch campuses
- Colleges and vocational institutes
- Student-services businesses
- Education-technology firms
Why choose Academic City
- The region's largest higher-education cluster
- Established KHDA approval pathways
- Campus-grade facilities and student housing
- Access to a large student population
- TECOM administration and campus services
Academic City frequently asked questions
What approvals does a higher-education institution need?
Academic institutions need KHDA permits layered over the trade licence, with programme-level approvals for degrees. Timelines run months rather than weeks, and we manage the full approval chain.
Can non-academic businesses set up in Academic City?
Yes, businesses serving the education cluster, student services, training providers, edtech, license here to sit beside their market, with simpler approval requirements than degree-granting institutions.
What does setup cost?
Non-academic licences start around AED 20,000; institutions' budgets are dominated by campus facilities and regulatory capital requirements, which we scope case by case with the authority.
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