UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 143 of 2026 Takes Effect on 12 September: Universities Face Fines of Up to AED 500,000, Exams Designed to Pass Students Count as a Violation, and Repeat Breaches Can Cost Accreditation

12 September 2026

UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 143 of 2026, which regulates violations, penalties and administrative measures in higher education, is in force from 12 September 2026. It applies to universities and other higher education institutions, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and training centres and institutes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). It covers licensing and accreditation, data accuracy, academic integrity, examination security, practical training and academic advertising. Penalties are graduated: fines can reach AED 500,000, student admissions can be suspended, and a third repetition of certain violations can cost an institution its licence or accreditation. At a Ministry forum in Abu Dhabi on 9 September, the director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation said that assessments deliberately designed to let students pass are a violation. The regime works alongside an outcome-based evaluation model: in the framework MoHESR updated in March 2026, employment outcomes and learning outcomes each carry 25% of a university’s score and industry collaboration carries 20%.

What Resolution No. 143 covers

The full title is Cabinet Resolution No. (143) of 2026 on the Regulation of Violations, Penalties and Administrative Measures Associated with the Mandates and Services of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. MoHESR announced its approval on 27 August 2026. The resolution is issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2025 on Higher Education and Scientific Research, the federal law announced at the end of December 2025 that applies to all higher education and TVET institutions in the UAE, including those operating in free zones.

According to the Ministry, the resolution sets one framework for violations related to:

• licensing and accreditation;
• accuracy of data, and monitoring and evaluation requirements;
• academic integrity and the security and integrity of examinations;
• practical training;
• academic advertising;
• environmental, health and safety requirements, among other areas the Ministry regulates.

The same rules now apply to every entity under the jurisdiction of MoHESR. The Ministry says the resolution strengthens coordination with local education authorities so that procedures and penalties are not duplicated, and it creates a specialised committee to hear grievances. Undersecretary Dr Ahmed Sultan Al Shoaibi said every regulatory measure comes with safeguards for students, including the continuity of their studies and the protection of their academic and financial rights.

Four resolutions, one regulatory cycle

Resolution No. 143 is the enforcement end of a package of four Cabinet resolutions that MoHESR explained to more than 200 officials and institution representatives at its Future of Higher Education Dialogues forum at Fairmont Abu Dhabi on Wednesday 9 September 2026. Similar forums are planned in Dubai and Sharjah. Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said the resolutions “enhance the quality of the higher education system and support the alignment of its outcomes with the needs of the labour market and priority sectors”. Dr Al Shoaibi listed four gaps the package is meant to close: inconsistent application of licensing requirements, no clear published schedule of fees, inconsistent handling of violations, and no explicit provision for student protection.

How penalties escalate

The resolution does not start at the maximum. Each violation is assessed on its nature, its severity and whether it has been repeated, and the measures range from warnings and corrective action to suspension of admissions or programmes, fines, withdrawal of accreditation or licences and, in serious or repeated cases, closure or permanent restrictions on those responsible for running an institution. Failing to remedy a violation, continuing it after a warning or not carrying out a required measure on time can itself count as a repetition. A previous penalty is generally not counted once a year has passed without the same violation.

The main violations presented at the forum are treated as follows:

When serious action is taken, the institution must keep students’ studies going, preserve academic records, safeguard financial rights, refund fees or amounts collected without entitlement and regularise the status of affected students. Dr Al Shoaibi said a student “should not bear responsibility for a violation they did not cause”.

Exams designed to pass students

Prof Amjad Qandil, Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), spoke on a panel about the resolution. He said assessment practices intentionally designed to pass students are “a very important violation”, adding that some do not think of it as one, “but it is a violation”. His other examples were failing to enforce proper assessment and verification processes, and delivering a programme that has changed substantially from the version the CAA accredited without the required prior approval.

The resolution defines an institutional breach of academic integrity as a failure to establish, implement or monitor the policies, procedures and systems that protect academic integrity and the integrity of examination procedures and results. This includes cheating or breaches of examination systems that result from serious or repeated shortcomings in monitoring, supervision, examination security or electronic examination systems, or from facilitating or overlooking such conduct. Responsibility sits with the institution, not only with the student who cheats.

On artificial intelligence, Prof Qandil said “the only solution for AI is to embrace it” and that universities should build AI-resilient assessment rather than try to make it AI-resistant, so that an assessment still measures learning when AI tools are available. At the same forum Abu Dhabi University described its approach: staged assessments in which students present a plan, answer questions and come back with the finished work, and an AI-based moderation system that has reviewed more than 2,400 examinations since it launched about a year ago.

Licensing, fees and guarantees

Resolution No. 104 of 2026 applies to new and existing institutions and branches, inside and outside free zones. In a free zone the local permit must come before the federal institutional licence; outside free zones, local approvals must be in place before the federal licensing decision. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2025, the Ministry grants the institutional licence to free zone institutions holding local authorisation without requiring them to repeat licensing procedures or pay additional fees.

Licensing is now a continuing obligation. Institutions must keep data accurate and integrated electronically with Ministry systems, maintain information security and business continuity measures, and hold a student protection and academic continuity plan for serious operational or financial difficulties. Renewal applications are due at least 90 days before a licence expires, and the length of a licence can vary with the risk, compliance and performance profile of the institution. Prior approval is required for a change of name, new academic units, a new branch or a move of main premises, as well as for mergers, licence transfers and changes in effective control.

Resolution No. 103 of 2026 publishes the fee schedule for Ministry services:

Higher education institutions also provide a financial guarantee linked to the number of enrolled students:

Federal and local public institutions are exempt from the guarantee, and private institutions holding a local permit are exempt from the federal guarantee where their local authority already requires an equivalent measure that protects students. For existing institutions, the fees and guarantees generally apply from the start of the financial year after Resolution No. 103 enters into force; for new institutions they apply immediately. The resolution repeals Cabinet Resolution No. 81 of 2025. Resolution No. 92 of 2026 is separate: its review fees are paid into a Review Fund that finances licensing and accreditation reviews. The published summaries do not explain how the AED 100,000 institutional licensing fee applies to free zone institutions under the decree-law rule above, so that point is worth confirming with the Ministry and the free zone authority before budgeting.

Self-reporting, waivers and grievances

An institution that reports a deficiency or violation before it is detected will not be fined in certain circumstances, provided the violation did not result from gross negligence or a deliberate act. Fines can also be waived where non-compliance was caused by delays at government entities, force majeure, natural disasters, officially declared epidemics or general government decisions, again without negligence on the side of the institution. Even then, the Ministry can order the measures needed to protect students.

Institutions have 60 days from becoming aware of a decision, procedure, penalty or administrative measure to file a reasoned written grievance, which is considered by a specialised committee set up by MoHESR. The Ministry decides within 60 days, and filing a grievance does not suspend the contested measure unless the Ministry decides otherwise.

Universities are scored on outcomes

The penalties regime is one half of the system; the other half is how MoHESR measures results. Its Outcome-Based Evaluation Framework (OBEF) University Guidebook, Version 11.5 dated 23 March 2026, scores institutions on 24 key performance indicators grouped into six weighted pillars:

The guidebook adds a separate Future Readiness assessment of how programmes align with future skills and how AI is used in teaching and learning; it is excluded from the OBEF score. Several KPIs are calculated on rolling multi-year averages, so a single strong year does not move the result on its own. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2025, all licensed institutions are subject to periodic classification and evaluation, with results published after approval by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council and the Cabinet. On 9 September Dr Al Shoaibi said a new national framework for classifying universities, assessing the quality of their performance and overseeing their operations will be issued soon. No date was given.

What this means for companies in the UAE

Resolution No. 143 is a rule change with a date, and it reaches beyond campuses:

• Education and training businesses. Institutions and training centres under the jurisdiction of MoHESR are subject to the penalties regime from 12 September 2026. Advertising a programme before it is accredited can fall under the rules on misleading advertising, with a first-level fine of AED 20,000 per advertisement, so websites, social media and agent materials should follow accreditation rather than precede it.
• Investors planning a new institution. The budget now has published lines: AED 100,000 for the institutional licence, AED 15,000 a year per programme and a guarantee of AED 200,000 to AED 1 million depending on enrolment, plus audited financial statements and a continuity plan. In a free zone the local permit comes first, which makes the choice between free zone and mainland part of the licensing plan from the start.
• Employers hiring graduates. The Ministry tells students and parents to check the accreditation of the specific programme, not only the licence of the institution. In our reading, the same check makes sense for an employer who relies on a UAE degree. Recognition of a qualification costs AED 50 per application, and attestation of educational documents is already digital.
• Companies that host student placements. Practical training registered only on paper, without the training or the intended skills actually happening, is a defined violation for the institution. With industry collaboration worth 20% and employment outcomes 25% of the evaluation score, placements and partnerships with employers matter to institutions, and records showing that training really took place matter to both sides.

Checklist for institutions from 12 September 2026

• Confirm programme accreditation for every programme that is advertised or open for enrolment, not only the institutional licence.
• Review websites, social media and agent materials for claims about licensing, accreditation and qualifications.
• Document assessment design, verification of results and examination security, including electronic examination systems.
• Keep practical training records that show the training took place and the intended skills were acquired.
• Prepare or update the student protection and academic continuity plan.
• Keep data submitted to the Ministry accurate and integrated with its systems.
• Obtain prior approval before material changes to programmes, name, academic units, branches or premises.
• Report deficiencies before they are detected, and note the 60-day window for grievances.

How Atlant Capital can help

We are not an accreditation body or an academic consultancy: licensing and programme accreditation stay with MoHESR and the CAA. We handle the corporate side for education and training businesses and for the companies that work with them: company registration on the mainland and in the free zones, with a licence activity that matches what the business will actually deliver; corporate bank account opening; and work visas and residency for faculty, trainers and staff. Audited financial statements, accounting and tax filings are handled by licensed firms from our partner network. We do not promise approvals or timelines that a regulator has not confirmed in writing.

The bottom line

From 12 September 2026 higher education in the UAE runs on published rules: a licence that does not cover unaccredited programmes, a schedule of fees and guarantees, a graduated penalty table with fines of up to AED 500,000, and an evaluation model in which graduate employment and learning outcomes carry half the score. For institutions the task is continuous compliance. For the companies around them, it is checking programme accreditation and keeping training partnerships real.

FAQ

What is UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 143 of 2026?

It is the Cabinet resolution regulating violations, penalties and administrative measures linked to the mandates and services of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It is in force from 12 September 2026 and applies to higher education institutions, TVET institutions, and training centres and institutes. It covers licensing and accreditation, data accuracy, academic integrity, examination security, practical training, academic advertising and health and safety requirements.

What fines can UAE universities face under Resolution 143?

Fines can reach AED 500,000, depending on the violation, its circumstances and whether it is repeated. Misleading advertising carries a first-level fine of AED 20,000 per advertisement. Other measures include warnings, suspension of student admissions, rejection of new programme applications and, on a third repetition of certain violations, withdrawal of the licence or accreditation. Institutions can file a grievance within 60 days.

Is designing exams to make students pass a violation in the UAE?

Yes. Prof Amjad Qandil, Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation, said at a Ministry forum on 9 September 2026 that assessment practices intentionally designed to pass students are a violation under the new framework. The resolution treats serious or repeated failures in academic integrity and examination security as an institutional breach, with measures escalating from warnings and suspension of admissions to revocation of accreditation on a third repetition.

How does the UAE evaluate universities in 2026?

Through the Outcome-Based Evaluation Framework of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Its guidebook, Version 11.5 of 23 March 2026, uses 24 KPIs in six pillars: Employment Outcomes 25%, Learning Outcomes 25%, Industry Collaboration 20%, Research Outcomes 15%, Reputation 10% and Community Engagement 5%. A separate Future Readiness assessment of skills alignment and AI in teaching is excluded from the score.