Agenticum · Thoughts · 8 min read

AI master's programs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: the 2027 intake compared

Six AI master's options in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, compared on cost after funding, format, entry rules and 2027 deadlines. Published fees and funding figures come from university pages; currency conversions and example totals are our calculations.

Nikolay Zuykov · Agenticum · 6 November 2026

Research MSc or applied master's: the two groups in this guide

The programs in this guide fall into two groups. Decide which group you need before you compare schools.

A research master's combines taught courses with your own research. MBZUAI describes its Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence as a balanced combination of taught coursework and independent research. It is a full-time, 36-credit degree planned over two years: coursework in the first year, then mostly research and thesis writing in the second. MBZUAI also lists MSc programs in AI with Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing specializations, and MSc programs in Computational Biology, Computer Science, Robotics, and Statistics and Data Science. NYU Abu Dhabi's MSc in Interdisciplinary Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MIDSAI) is a full-time, research-intensive program that lasts two years and includes a full-year thesis on an academic or industry problem. Its specializations include Health Informatics, Urban Mobility and Logistics, and Arabic Natural Language Processing. In Saudi Arabia, KAUST has an Artificial Intelligence track inside its Computer Science program.

An applied master's is built around industry skills. MBZUAI's fee-based Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) is designed to address the AI skills gap in industry. Other options for professionals include UOWD's Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence and Curtin Dubai's Master of Artificial Intelligence, a 12-month program for professionals with evening classes. UOWD is the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

Programs compared

Program	Length	Format	Fees before funding	Funding	Intakes and deadlines	Accreditation
MBZUAI MSc in Artificial Intelligence	2 years, 36 credits	Full-time; coursework plus independent research and thesis	Free tuition for funded students	Fully funded, subject to satisfactory academic progress: free tuition, monthly stipend, one return flight home a year, health insurance	2027 intake; final deadline 15 December 2026 (5pm GST)	Not listed here
MBZUAI Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI)	2 years, 34 credits	In person on campus; full-time (daytime) or part-time (evenings and weekends)	AED 5,000 per credit; AED 170,000 in total (MBZUAI's approximation: USD 46,291; about SAR 173,587), paid each semester	No university funding; no scholarships	Deadline 28 February 2027 (5pm GST)	Not listed here
NYU Abu Dhabi MSc in Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI	2 years	Full-time, research-intensive, full-year thesis	USD 46,130 a year; USD 92,260 in total (about AED 338,825 / SAR 345,975), based on 2026-27 figures	Most applicants admitted to NYUAD master's programs in recent years were offered NYUAD scholarships of 50 to 85%; Ruwwad Zayed Program for eligible students	Fall; deadline 15 February 2027	Not listed here
UOWD Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence	15 to 24 months, 12 subjects	Applied curriculum: machine learning, deep learning, NLP, MLOps and more	AED 9,415.35 (USD 2,565) per subject incl. 5% VAT; AED 112,984.20 for 12 subjects (about USD 30,765 / SAR 115,368), our sum	Not listed here	September, January, April	CAA accredited, KHDA licensed
Curtin Dubai Master of Artificial Intelligence	12 months full-time	Evening classes, flexible study modes	AED 84,000 incl. 5% VAT (about USD 22,873 / SAR 85,773)	Scholarships up to 20%; up to 40% under Women in STEM	February, September	Not listed here
KAUST MS in Computer Science, AI track	1.5 years (no thesis) or 2 years (thesis)	Thesis or non-thesis track	Covered by the fellowship (tuition worth up to USD 35,000 a year)	KAUST Fellowship for every admitted master's student, including a USD 20,000 a year stipend	Fall; deadline 3 January 2027 (tentative)	Not listed here

Published fees and funding figures come from the school pages listed under Sources. Currency conversions are our calculations at the fixed pegs set by the UAE and Saudi central banks: AED 3.6725 and SAR 3.75 per US dollar. UOWD does not publish a total fee, so the UOWD total is our own calculation of 12 subjects at the published per-subject price. Scholarship examples and budgets below are also our arithmetic.

What it really costs in AED and SAR

MBZUAI MSc. MBZUAI fully funds its MSc and PhD programs, as long as the student makes satisfactory academic progress. Funded students get free tuition, a monthly stipend, one return flight home a year and health insurance. The funding table placed directly under that benefits list gives MSc amounts of AED 37,500 for UAE nationals (about USD 10,211 / SAR 38,291) and AED 15,500 for international students (about USD 4,221 / SAR 15,827). The table does not say whether these amounts are monthly. Funded students are expected to be physically present on campus throughout their funding period, and an external scholarship normally replaces the university stipend.

MBZUAI MAAI. MAAI is fee-based and gets no university funding or scholarships. Tuition is AED 5,000 per credit for 34 credits, AED 170,000 in total, paid each semester.

NYU Abu Dhabi. The list price is USD 46,130 a year (about AED 169,412 / SAR 172,988). NYUAD calls these figures best estimates and says to expect a 4% increase each year. Over recent years, most applicants admitted to NYUAD master's programs were offered scholarships that typically cover 50 to 85% of tuition and fees. At 85% the tuition and fees balance for the whole program is USD 13,839 (about AED 50,824 / SAR 51,896). At 50% it is USD 46,130. NYUAD funding does not pay for travel, housing or living costs. NYUAD does pay for the mandatory health insurance. The rent for on-campus housing in a shared two-bedroom apartment is USD 8,824 a year (about AED 32,406 / SAR 33,090), and NYUAD's representative living budget is USD 22,624 a year (about AED 83,087 / SAR 84,840). Under the Ruwwad Zayed Program, high-potential Emirati and Arab students based in the UAE who join MIDSAI receive full academic funding.

Our example budget assumes an 85% scholarship: USD 13,839 in tuition and fees, plus two years at NYUAD's representative living budget of USD 22,624 a year. That totals about USD 59,087 (AED 216,997 / SAR 221,576), not counting the 4% yearly increase NYUAD says to expect. With a 50% scholarship, the remaining tuition and fees total USD 46,130.

UOWD. Each subject costs AED 9,415.35. At 12 subjects that is AED 112,984.20 for the degree.

Curtin Dubai. Tuition is AED 84,000. By our calculation, a 20% scholarship would reduce tuition to AED 67,200; a 40% Women in STEM scholarship would reduce it to AED 50,400.

Entry requirements: degree, GPA, English, tests

MBZUAI: a STEM degree from a recognized university and a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or 3.5 out of 4.0, depending on the program. Admission is competitive: 43% of MBZUAI's incoming graduate students for 2026-27 came from top computer-science universities. MAAI is aimed at UAE-based professionals with several years in AI, digital or technology roles, and MBZUAI recommends more than three years of industry experience for the part-time track.
NYU Abu Dhabi: minimum CGPA 3.0 out of 4.0. Your bachelor's degree does not have to be in data science, but your application must show the mastery needed for graduate-level work in this program. English minimums are IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 90 or Duolingo 120. Admitted students need UAE security clearance and, if their residency status requires it, a UAE visa.
UOWD: a recognised bachelor's in a related field such as IT, computer science, engineering or business information systems. Applicants with a bachelor's degree in another field may also meet the degree requirement through relevant professional experience or certification. Graduates from unrelated fields may be admitted after an interview and remedial subjects. UOWD requires IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each band, plus UAE Ministry of Education attestation or equivalency for your bachelor's degree.
Curtin Dubai: a 4-year degree in IT, computational science or engineering, or a 3-year degree in those fields plus at least 2 years of relevant work experience. You need an IELTS score of at least 6.0 overall and in each band, or an equivalent English-language test score.
KAUST: minimum GPA 3.0 out of 4.0, and IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each section.

Terms. CAA: the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the UAE Ministry of Education. KHDA: the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which licenses UOWD degrees.

2027 intake deadlines on one timeline

Date	What happens
1 October	NYUAD applications open for the following fall intake
15 December 2026 (5pm GST)	MBZUAI final deadline for graduate programs other than Computational Biology and MAAI
3 January 2027	KAUST Round 2 deadline for Fall 2027 (tentative)
4 January 2027	UOWD Winter intake starts
15 February 2027	NYUAD MIDSAI application deadline
25 February 2027	KAUST Round 2 decisions (tentative)
28 February 2027 (5pm GST)	MBZUAI MAAI deadline
29 August 2027	KAUST fall semester starts (tentative)

UOWD classes start in September, January or April, and its Winter intake starts on 4 January 2027. Curtin Dubai lists intakes in February and September.

For Saudi readers: KAUST's AI track

Artificial Intelligence is one of six tracks in KAUST's Computer Science program. You can take the MS as a 1.5-year non-thesis track or a 2-year thesis track. Every admitted master's student receives the fully funded KAUST Fellowship. It covers tuition fees (worth up to USD 35,000 a year, or SAR 131,250 / AED 128,537.50), housing, health insurance and relocation support. MS students also get a stipend worth USD 20,000 a year (SAR 75,000 / AED 73,450). Entry requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 and IELTS 7.0 overall, with 6.5 in each section. KAUST has the highest IELTS minimum among the programs with scores listed here. KAUST calls its dates tentative, so confirm them before you apply.

For employers sponsoring staff

MBZUAI's MAAI is aimed at UAE-based working professionals with several years in AI, digital or technology roles. Part-time students attend evening lectures and weekend labs, and both tracks are taught in person on campus. The MAAI internship normally takes place in the student's own organization during the final project. MAAI is fee-based with no university funding or scholarships, and tuition is paid each semester. Curtin Dubai's program is designed for professionals and runs evening classes. UOWD's program takes 15 to 24 months, has intakes in September, January and April, covers MLOps, generative models, multi-agent systems, and AI strategy and governance, and prepares students for Microsoft, IBM and Google certifications. For a shorter option, UOWD also offers a Graduate Diploma in Applied Artificial Intelligence. NYUAD's MIDSAI and MBZUAI's MSc in AI are full-time programs, and MBZUAI's funded students are expected to be physically present on campus throughout their funding period.

How to choose in five steps

Pick the kind of degree. For research experience, compare MBZUAI's MSc, NYUAD's thesis-based program and KAUST's thesis track. For industry skills, compare MAAI, UOWD and Curtin Dubai.
Decide whether you can study full-time. MBZUAI's MSc in AI and NYUAD's MIDSAI are full-time programs. MAAI has a part-time track with evening lectures and weekend labs, and Curtin Dubai offers evening classes and flexible study modes.
Work out your budget after funding. Compare the funding at MBZUAI and KAUST, NYUAD's balance at the 85% and 50% scholarship levels it publishes plus living costs, and the fees for MAAI, UOWD and Curtin Dubai.
Check that you meet the cut-offs: CGPA 3.0 or 3.5 at MBZUAI depending on the program, CGPA 3.0 at NYUAD and GPA 3.0 at KAUST, the IELTS minimums for each program, and UAE Ministry of Education attestation or equivalency for UOWD.
Plan around the dates: 15 December 2026 for MBZUAI graduate programs other than Computational Biology and MAAI, 3 January 2027 for KAUST, 15 February 2027 for NYUAD and 28 February 2027 for MAAI. UOWD's Winter intake starts on 4 January 2027, and its other intakes are in September and April. Curtin Dubai starts in February or September.