Most fully funded scholarships ask you to write a separate essay, fill a separate form and wait on a separate committee. The Khalifa University Scholarship for International Students works differently. You apply for admission to Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, and the university screens your complete file for funding automatically. If you are strong enough, the offer of a seat and the offer of money arrive together.
That simplicity is the appeal, and also the trap. Because there is no extra form, some students treat it like an ordinary admission application and submit a thin file. Scholarship seats for non-UAE nationals are limited each intake, so a thin file rarely gets funded. This guide explains what the award covers, who it suits, and how to build an application that actually gets considered. For the summary version, see the full scholarship details.
A STEM-only award at Abu Dhabi's research university
Khalifa University was formed through the merger of the Petroleum Institute, Masdar Institute and the original Khalifa University. It is Abu Dhabi's flagship research-intensive institution and ranks among the highest in the Arab world for engineering and applied sciences. Most of its scholarship pool is reserved for UAE nationals. Alongside that, there is a smaller, fully funded track for exceptional international students at bachelor's, master's and PhD level.
The eligible fields are engineering, computer science, energy, health engineering and the sciences. If you want business, law, medicine or the humanities, this is the wrong scholarship. If you are a Pakistani student with a top FSc or A Level record in pre-engineering, or a graduate with a strong engineering or CS transcript and a research interest that matches a Khalifa department, it is worth a serious attempt.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Khalifa University of Science and Technology |
| Country | United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi) |
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Levels | Bachelor's, Master's, PhD |
| Fields | Engineering, Computer Science, Energy, Health Engineering, Sciences |
| Recent deadlines | March 2, 2026 (Fall 2026 intake) and September 15, 2026 (Spring 2027 intake) |
| Separate scholarship form | No, funding is assessed from the admission application |
| Official site | ku.ac.ae |
What full funding means here, and the part that varies
A full scholarship recipient gets the following:
- A 100% tuition fee waiver
- A monthly stipend, with the amount depending on degree level and program
- Medical and health insurance
- UAE residence visa fees
- Mobilization and demobilization flights between your home country and the UAE, for full-time international graduate students
Two details matter for planning. First, the stipend amount is not fixed across the board. It changes by level and program, so do not build a budget around a figure you saw on a forum. Check the current amount for your specific program on the official site or in your offer letter. Second, the flights are listed for graduate students. If you are applying for a bachelor's degree, assume you will pay your own airfare from Pakistan unless your offer says otherwise.
Because tuition, insurance and visa fees are all covered, the remaining costs for most students are day-to-day living expenses beyond the stipend and, for undergraduates, travel. That is a far lighter load than most self-funded options abroad.
Pakistani applicants and the non-UAE national rule
This track is for non-UAE nationals. Emirati citizens have their own, separate scholarship pool. Pakistani students are eligible, since the award is open to all non-UAE nationals who meet the academic and English requirements. Abu Dhabi also has a large expatriate population, including many Pakistani professionals and students, which makes settling in easier than in many other destinations.
The formal requirements are short:
- You must not be a UAE national
- You need an outstanding academic record in a relevant STEM discipline
- You must meet Khalifa University's standard admission requirements for your chosen degree level
- You need English proficiency through IELTS or TOEFL, as required for international applicants
- Graduate applicants need a clear research or program fit with a Khalifa University department
The source material does not publish minimum grades or minimum IELTS or TOEFL bands for the scholarship itself. Look up the admission requirements for your exact program on the official site. Meeting the minimum gets you admitted. It does not get you funded. A high English score materially strengthens a scholarship case, so if your IELTS is borderline, retaking it before you apply is usually a better use of time than polishing your statement for the fifth time.
Why a complete file decides the scholarship
Since there is no separate scholarship form, your admission file is your scholarship application. Admissions staff screen every complete file for funding eligibility. Incomplete files are not considered for scholarships at all. That single rule explains most of the advice below.
The documents you will typically upload are:
- The completed online admission application
- Official transcripts and degree certificates, attested where required
- English proficiency test scores (IELTS or TOEFL)
- A statement of purpose (graduate applicants)
- Letters of recommendation
- A CV or resume (graduate applicants)
- A valid passport copy
The phrase "attested where required" matters for Pakistani students. Attestation of degrees and transcripts can take weeks, so start early. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide walks through the process, and the documents checklist for international scholarships is useful for getting recommendation letters and scans in order.
The application route from portal to offer
- Submit a complete admission application through the Khalifa University online portal for your degree level.
- Upload all supporting documents, including transcripts, test scores and recommendation letters, before the intake deadline.
- Do nothing extra for the scholarship. Eligibility is assessed from the same file.
- If you are a shortlisted graduate applicant, expect a possible interview with the relevant department.
- Receive admission and scholarship decisions together, then complete visa and enrollment formalities.
The interview step is where graduate applicants often slip. If you named a lab or a faculty member in your statement, you should be able to talk about their recent work and explain how your background fits. Treat it like a research conversation, not a viva on your bachelor's syllabus.
Two intakes, and what the dates mean for you now
The most recent cycle had two deadlines: March 2, 2026 for the Fall 2026 intake and September 15, 2026 for the Spring 2027 intake. Applications for the Fall intake opened in October 2025, and decisions came out on a rolling basis, several weeks after each deadline.
Both of those deadlines have now passed. If you are planning ahead, the pattern suggests the next Fall cycle may open around October, but the exact dates for the next intake are not confirmed here. Check the official portal before you plan anything around a date, and confirm the current deadline for your program directly with the university.
Whatever the dates turn out to be, apply as early as you can within the cycle. Funded seats for international students are limited and awarded competitively, so waiting until the last week puts you at a disadvantage and leaves no time to fix a missing document.
Where strong Pakistani applicants still lose out
Competition is intense. The candidates who get funded have outstanding transcripts, strong test scores and, at graduate level, a clear research fit with the university's engineering, AI, energy or health-engineering focus areas. Here is where good applicants tend to fall short.
A generic statement of purpose
Graduate applicants should identify a specific faculty member or lab whose research matches their interests and reference it in the statement of purpose. A statement that could be sent to any university reads as low effort, and research fit is one of the stated criteria.
Leaving out competition results
Undergraduate applicants should highlight Olympiad, science-fair or national-level academic competition results if they have them. Many Pakistani students mention board position holders but forget the Physics or Math Olympiad they took part in. Put it in.
Uploading documents late
Keep all transcripts and test scores updated in the portal before the deadline. A file waiting on one attested transcript is an incomplete file, and incomplete files are not considered for scholarships.
Applying in the wrong field
If your interest is outside engineering, computer science, energy, health engineering or the sciences, this award is not built for you. Spend your effort on scholarships in your actual field. Our all UAE scholarships roundup is a better starting point in that case.
Is it worth the effort?
For the right student, yes. The award covers nearly all major costs, and Abu Dhabi puts you near national research centers and industry partners in energy, aerospace and semiconductors, including ADNOC and Mubadala. That makes internships and post-graduation jobs in the UAE realistic. Graduate students also get a small, research-focused campus with close faculty mentorship.
Who should skip it? Students with average grades hoping funding will follow admission, and anyone outside STEM. Since you lose nothing by being screened, a borderline STEM applicant can still apply, but should keep other options open rather than relying on this one award.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fill a separate scholarship application?
No. Scholarship eligibility is assessed automatically as part of the standard admission application. A complete admission file is all you submit.
Can Pakistani students apply?
Yes. The international track is open to all non-UAE nationals who meet the academic and English proficiency requirements.
How much is the monthly stipend?
It varies by degree level and program. Confirm the current figure for your program on the official website or in your offer.
Are flights covered for bachelor's students?
Mobilization and demobilization flights are listed for full-time international graduate students. Undergraduates should check their offer letter rather than assume flights are included.
How competitive is it?
Very. Only a limited number of fully funded seats are available for international students each intake, and incomplete files are not considered.
Is there an interview?
Shortlisted graduate applicants may be contacted for an interview with the relevant department. Admission and scholarship decisions are then issued together.
Before you apply, read the program pages on the Khalifa University scholarships page and, for master's and PhD applicants, the graduate scholarship for international students. You can also revisit the full scholarship details for a quick summary.