IIMA unveils a 2-phase development plan for its Dubai campus

As the first programme, the IIMA Dubai Campus will offer a full-time one-year MBA that is designed to cater to the advanced management learning and upskilling needs of global working professionals and entrepreneurs. FILE PHOTO: General view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/File Photo
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MOHAMMED SALEM

India’s top B-school — Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) — has devised a two-phase campus development plan for setting up an international campus in Dubai. The institute will begin operations later this year from an existing building in Dubai International Academic City and will eventually move into a permanent campus in 2029.

“With the help of the Dubai Government, we have devised a two-phase campus development plan. We will operate out of a highly modern and state-of-the-art infrastructure designed especially for IIMA within an existing building in Dubai International Academic City,” IIMA director Professor Bharat Bhasker told businessline revealing the institute’s detailed plan for setting its first international campus.

A fortnight ago, during IIMA’s annual convocation, it was Professor Bhasker who had first made public IIMA’s intent to set up an international campus in Dubai and start offering courses from September 2025. “Meanwhile, the work for building a world-class campus (in Dubai) will start in about a few months, and we expect to move to the permanent campus in 2029,” he added.

On Tuesday, IIMA and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai for the establishment of the IIMA Dubai Campus. The MoU was exchanged by Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, and His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

As the first programme, the IIMA Dubai Campus will offer a full-time one-year MBA that is designed to cater to the advanced management learning and upskilling needs of global working professionals and entrepreneurs. For admissions, GMAT/GRE score will be taken into account.

“This immersive programme, with IIMA’s acclaimed case method pedagogy, aims to equip ambitious 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. Admission to the full-time One-year MBA at IIMA’s Dubai campus will follow a rigorous two-stage process based on the standardised GMAT/GRE score taken within the last five years,” Professor Bhasker added. The admission process will start soon, and the first batch will begin in September 2025.

When asked the quantum of investments needed to set up an international campus in Dubai, the IIMA director without revealing a figure said, “The Dubai Government has kindly facilitated and supported our entry into the Dubai market by providing the necessary investment to set up the campus.”

Asked why Dubai was chosen as a destination of IIMA’s first international campus, Professor Bhasker 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. Dubai offers unparalleled access to international markets, world-class faculty, and a diverse, high-achieving peer group alongside IIM Ahmedabad’s legacy of academic rigour and international exposure for personal and professional growth. Our presence in Dubai will also strengthen our offerings in India, and together, these two campuses will help us become a global leader in management education with a seamless exchange of innovation and knowledge.”

Through the new international campus, IIMA plans to tap citizens of UAE, expat population working in the region and the international students aspiring to build their professional career in the region. “We aim to provide world-class management education to aspiring business leaders from the region. It includes the citizens of UAE and surrounding countries, the expat population working in the region, and international students aspiring to build their professional career in the region. With the ambitious economic development agenda of UAE, we believe IIMA’s offerings will boost the supply of managerial talent needed to accelerate the economic growth in the region,” the IIMA director added.

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Published on April 9, 2025