February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is an international branch campus of Paris-Sorbonne University (now Sorbonne University) located on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. Established in 2006 through an intergovernmental agreement between France and the UAE, it was one of the first major European university campuses in the Gulf region. The institution offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the arts, humanities, languages, law, science, and management, delivered in both French and English.

UAE Context

Sorbonne Abu Dhabi operates under a renewable intergovernmental cooperation agreement. The Abu Dhabi government provides the campus infrastructure and operational funding, while Sorbonne University in Paris guarantees academic standards, curriculum design, and degree certification — ensuring that graduates receive the same diplomas as their Paris-based counterparts. The campus on Al Reem Island serves a diverse student body drawn from the UAE, the wider Middle East, and francophone nations. Its academic programmes are particularly strong in French language and literature, history, philosophy, and law.

Key Data

The university enrols several thousand students across its undergraduate and master’s programmes. It offers degrees spanning multiple faculties, including Arts and Humanities, Science, and Law. The institution maintains exchange agreements with the Paris campus, allowing students to study in France as part of their degree. Sorbonne Abu Dhabi also hosts cultural and academic events that promote Franco-Emirati intellectual exchange.

Vision 2031 Significance

Sorbonne Abu Dhabi broadens the UAE’s higher-education offering beyond Anglo-American models, diversifying the academic and cultural influences shaping the nation’s graduates. It supports Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a multilingual, cosmopolitan knowledge hub and deepens the strategic Franco-Emirati partnership that also encompasses the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

  • Al Reem Island — The Abu Dhabi island where the campus is located.
  • Louvre Abu Dhabi — Cultural institution established under the same Franco-Emirati framework.
  • NYU Abu Dhabi — American branch campus complementing the international education landscape.
  • Zayed University — Federal UAE university offering domestically focused programmes.