Keystone search data reveals the UAE, along with other MENA destinations, is benefiting from shifts in global international study demand during 2025 – with an increase of nearly 90% in search interest in June 2025 compared to earlier this year.
All MENA destinations are seeing substantial growth, with the UAE leading on overall search interest within this region, accounting for 59% of all MENA searches on Keystone’s student platforms in June 2025.
This speaks to both the established and growing popularity of study in the UAE and MENA, alongside its opportunity to benefit from current global shifts.
Audiences for study in the UAE - and the wider MENA region - are highly diverse, with significant interest from South Asia (notably India and Pakistan), as well as Southeast Asia (Singapore, Indonesia), East Asia (Hong Kong, China), and Europe (France, Germany). There has also been a slight uptick in interest from US students.
Keystone’s data – which measures relative search interest from millions of monthly searches on Keystone websites - also reveals that India is by far the largest international audience for study in the UAE.
These are the top 5 fastest-growing audiences for UAE:
Subject interest and fees are the two most important factors in students choosing to study in the MENA region.
MENA audiences are also slightly more likely to be motivated by ‘culture and leisure’, when it comes to picking their study country, compared to students overall.