IIM Ahmedabad to set up offshore campus in Dubai; will start with 1-year MBA course

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Management (IIM Ahmedabad) has joined hands with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government to set up an offshore campus at the Dubai International Academic City. The new campus will expand the global footprints of the management institute, as per the official statement.

The management institute will offer a full-time one-year MBA programme for working professionals at its Dubai campus. An agreement was signed between Bhasker Bharat, director at IIM Ahmedabad and HE Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, department of economy and tourism, Dubai.

Expressing delight over the collaboration, Dharmendra Pradhan, education minister of India, wrote on his X account: “This collaboration will open new vistas for learning, innovation and empowering future leaders for global good. IIM Ahmedabad’s presence in Dubai will drive prosperity and economic development in the region and further strengthen #IndiaUAE relations in the years to come.”

Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “Dubai has emerged as a thriving global epicentre for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship, making it the ideal location for us to establish our first international campus. Our objective is to provide high-quality management education to aspiring leaders in the Middle East and surrounding regions. We are excited to collaborate with the UAE Government to set up a state-of-the-art campus within the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s premier higher education hub.”

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The IIMA Dubai campus will be established in two phases. In the first phase, IIMA will be provided with space in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), as per the official press release. In the second phase, IIMA will be provided with land where the permanent campus will come up and be operational from 2029, it added.

Notably, the one-year full time MBA programme will be spread over five terms, with academic and international exposure, it said.

Speaking on the collaboration, Mr Hadi Badri, CEO, Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), said, “The launch of IIMA's Dubai Campus is poised to further underline the city's global reputation as a hub for talent, innovation and entrepreneurship, providing a platform to further elevate business leadership skills not just within Dubai itself, but across the wider region.

IIM Ahmedabad Dubai Campus: One-year MBA course

Candidates have to follow a two-stage process, based on the standardised GMAT/GRE score taken within the last five years to get admission into the MBA programme at the IIM Ahmedabad Dubai campus. The institute will commence its first batch in September 2025.

The MBA course at the IIM Ahmedabad Dubai campus is designed to provide advanced management learning and upskilling needs of global working professionals and entrepreneurs.

The programme aims to equip professionals with “cutting-edge” business insights to navigate global market challenges and prepare them for “C-suite” leadership while aligning with the UAE’s vision for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth, the institute said.