The University of Wollongong in Dubai provides fully-furnished student residences with laundry facilities, for undergraduate & postgraduate candidates; Image courtesy: www.uowdubai.ac.ae
Of the 40,000 students in Dubai pursuing higher education, more than 50% are students from outside the country. Out of the 63 universities and institutes of higher education in Dubai, quite a few offer student accommodation if you apply for the same. For those who can afford it, the universities also tie-up with local hotels to offer rooms at cheaper rates. If your university does not provide residential facilities, you will have to look for private accommodation in Dubai (i.e. live on rent.)
Cost of living in Dubai can get expensive, so international students planning to study there are advised to be prepared to have a budget of anywhere between AED 5,500 – 16,000 (₹ 99,000 – 2.9 lakh) per month. The budget can be lower if you can choose an affordable neighbourhood.
A few universities in Dubai offer on-campus & 0ff-campus residential & hostel facilities. The cost incurred varies according to the university fee policies. A look at what some of the universities have on offer:
University of Wollongong
UOW charges AED 14,600 (₹ 2.6 lakh approx.) per semester (spring semester and autumn semester) for the shared accommodation it provides in Jebel Ali Gardens
BITS Pilani, Dubai
BITS charges AED 40,000 (₹ 7 lakh approx.) per year as hostel fees (which also includes an internet facility fee)
Other institutes in Dubai that offer hostel facilities for students include American University, Canadian University of Dubai, Dubai Medical College for Girls, Dubai Pharmacy College, Emirates Academy of Hospitality, Etisalat Academy, Heriot-Watt University, Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Manipal University, Middlesex University.
Students can consider private living arrangements if you transportation won’t be an issue and if you don’t prefer to share an apartment with other students. It would be ideal to look for private flats on rent close to your university.If your university is in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), you can look for houses or rooms on rent in areas like Silicon Oasis, Mirdiff, Rashidiya and if your institute is in the Dubai Knowledge Village, you can look at options in JLT, Marina, Al Barsha, TECOM, Discovery Gardens and Jebel Ali.Â
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Cost of private apartments on rent in Dubai (monthly)
- 1 bedroom – AED 5,000 – 7,000 (₹ 90,000 – 1.2 lakh approx.)
- 2 bedrooms- AED 7,000 – 8,333 (₹ 1.2 – 1.5 lakh approx.)
Shared accommodation is a solution to the expensive cost of renting private accommodation. Rental for shared accommodation may be somewhere between AED 4,500-6,500 per month, based upon the location and number of people sharing the accommodation.
The classified sections of newspapers (eg Khaleej Times) in Dubai usually give detailed ads of all types of accommodation from shared flats to furnished apartments to private villas.
Student accommodation by “UniNest” in Dubailand
You can also check out the hassle-free student accommodation service in Dubai “Uninest” part of the Global Student Accommodation (GSA) that can accommodate 424 students in its various studio rooms, single rooms or twin rooms.