A training institute in the UAE or Saudi Arabia can teach a UK qualification as an approved centre, have its own programme put on a UK framework in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland, or have it accredited in Malta through a licensed institute. The local licence comes first. In Dubai, a training institute needs KHDA authorisation and KHDA's written approval for its programmes. Across the UAE, qualifications from an institution operating locally without a licence are not recognised. In Saudi Arabia, TVTC publishes which international professional certificates it accepts. Sort the licence, then choose.
Why Gulf institutes ask about this
This guide is meant for training institutes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
Walk into most training rooms in Dubai or Riyadh and you will meet engineers from Kerala, accountants from Lagos and supervisors from Manila. A fair number are planning their next move, and they ask for something an employer in London or Lisbon will recognise as well as one in Dubai. That is why UK awarding-body diplomas are common in Gulf training institutes, and why some institutes now want a level on their own programmes too.
United Arab Emirates: what the rules say
Three bodies matter for a private training institute.
- The licensing authority for your emirate. In Dubai that is KHDA. Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. 50 of 2015 says you need KHDA's authorisation before you open, and its written approval before you change what you teach.
- The federal Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which decides recognition of higher education qualifications. The ministry has said that qualifications from a branch operating in the UAE without a ministry licence "are not recognized within the UAE". Its 2025 resolution also requires the issuing institution to be licensed and accredited in its home country.
- The National Qualifications Centre, on the vocational side. It approves awarding bodies, signs off national vocational qualifications and places international ones against the UAE framework.
We could not find any KHDA rule that deals with UK awarding-body qualifications as such. What the resolution does cover is your licence and your programmes, so talk to your licensing authority about a new qualification before it goes on your website.
Saudi Arabia: what the rules say
TVTC, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, licenses private trainers. In November 2023 it said 231 international professional certificates were on its approved list. University degrees are a separate matter, decided by the Ministry of Education's committee for equivalence of university degrees.
Sources: Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 50 of 2015, the UAE ministry, the UAE government portal and TVTC, linked below. Checked 28 October 2026. UAE recognition rules changed in 2023 and 2025, so check the current version.
The three routes, seen from the Gulf
| Route | What your learners get | Local point to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Approved centre of a UK awarding organisation | A regulated UK qualification at an RQF level | Your licensing authority's approval to offer it. Vocational qualifications can also be checked against NQC recognition in the UAE, or the TVTC list in Saudi Arabia |
| Your own programme on a UK framework (SCQF, CQFW or RQF) | Your programme with a UK level: SCQF or CQFW credit, or an RQF level if you also teach in the UK | Your own programme still needs local approval. The SCQF level helps employers read it |
| Malta accreditation through the partner institute | An award at an MQF level, issued from inside the EU | The award comes from a licensed, accredited institute in Malta. Check with your licensing authority before delivering it locally |
The routes in brief
Approved centre. An Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation approves your institute, and you teach and assess its qualification. Ofqual has said qualifications offered overseas are protected by its regulation so long as they are also taken by learners in England. Ask each awarding organisation for its fees for the UAE or Saudi Arabia.
Your own programme on a UK framework. Scotland (SCQF credit rating) and Wales (CQFW endorsement) can give your own programme a level and credit, provided the body takes it on. England and Northern Ireland need an awarding organisation to make it a regulated qualification, and Ofqual says it cannot regulate one that nobody takes in England or Northern Ireland. Outcomes, assessment and quality assurance all have to be written down, and fees are whatever the body charges.
Malta accreditation. Your programme goes to MFHEA under our partner institute's licence. If MFHEA approves it, learners study most of it online and come to Malta for a short classroom block. The institute issues the award and names your institute as delivery partner. The current licence covers Levels 1 to 4. Higher levels depend on MFHEA approving the institute's extension to higher education.
What we would suggest
- Licence first. Before adding anything new, ask your licensing authority what paperwork it wants.
- For vocational courses, look the qualification up: is the NQC already recognising it in the UAE, or is it on TVTC's Saudi list? A yes there settles a lot.
- If your learners plan to move on to Europe, a Malta award gives them an EU-referenced level. Heading for Britain? Then an RQF qualification is probably the better bet.
- Write the full programme first. No regulator or rating body accredits exam papers on their own.
Apollo Accreditation is a consultancy. It is not a regulator or an awarding organisation and does not award qualifications. Gulf rules change, so confirm the current position with the authority named before you act on it.
Common questions
Does a Dubai training institute need KHDA approval to offer a UK qualification?
Under Executive Council Resolution No. 50 of 2015, a training institute needs KHDA authorisation to operate, and changes to its programmes need KHDA's written approval. Raise a new qualification with KHDA before you advertise it.
Who recognises vocational qualifications in the UAE?
The National Qualifications Centre. It approves vocational awarding bodies, endorses national vocational qualifications and places international ones against the UAE framework.
Are qualifications from unlicensed providers recognised in the UAE?
No. The UAE ministry has said that qualifications from a branch operating in the UAE without a ministry licence are not recognised in the UAE.
Does Saudi Arabia recognise international professional certificates?
The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation keeps a list of approved international professional certificates. In November 2023 it stood at 231.
Can a Gulf institute get a European level on its own programme?
Yes, through accreditation in Malta. If MFHEA approves the programme under our partner institute's licence, learners receive an award at an MQF level, referenced to the European Qualifications Framework.
Running a school outside the UK and the EU?
Book a 30 minute scoping call. Tell us where you are and what you teach, and we will tell you which route fits, what your home regulator is likely to ask, and a realistic timeline.
Book a 30 minute scoping callPrefer to write first? Contact us.
Sources
- Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 50 of 2015
- UAE Ministry of Education, Licensed institutions (11 March 2018)
- Arabian Business, UAE announces new higher education certificate rules (2025)
- UAE government portal, Technical and vocational education
- TVTC, Approved international professional certificates (19 November 2023)
- Ofqual blog, Qualifications exports: a significant market (11 February 2021)
- SCQF Partnership, Third party credit rating
- Ofqual, Note on regulation of qualifications taken by learners outside England (7 April 2014)
- ATHE, Qualification development
- Business Wales, Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales
- CCEA Regulation, Register of recognised awarding organisations
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