Zayed Education Foundation Announces Inaugural Cohort of 50 Scholars for Ruwwad Zayed Leadership Programme

The Zayed Education Foundation has successfully selected its first 50 scholars for Ruwwad Zayed, a prestigious merit-based scholarship and leadership initiative dedicated to high-achieving Emirati and Arab youth residing in the UAE.

Chosen out of a competitive pool of over 950 applicants, this inaugural cohort is set to embark on fully funded master's programmes across eight UAE universities starting in the 2026–27 academic year. The diverse group of scholars represents countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the UAE, and Yemen, featuring 18 Emirati nationals and 37 women among the 50 recipients.

The Ruwwad Zayed programme covers complete tuition costs alongside a financial-need-based monthly living stipend. In addition to financial backing, participants will engage in a specialized leadership development curriculum, benefit from personal and academic support, receive mentoring and professional guidance, and gain access to valuable internships and career opportunities.

The scholars will undertake 18 distinct master's disciplines at Abu Dhabi University, American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, and Zayed University. Their fields of study span artificial intelligence, data science, public health, governance and public policy, urban planning, law, psychology, and the arts.

A spokesperson for the Zayed Education Foundation emphasized that regional priorities increasingly demand specialized expertise and responsible leadership. Inspired by the principles of the late UAE Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the foundation has set an ambitious goal to empower 100,000 young leaders by 2035 by fostering a lifelong community of peers, universities, mentors, and strategic partners. Applications for the upcoming round of Ruwwad Zayed scholarships are scheduled to open later this year.