UNIVERSITIES in the United States have slowly lost their sparkle among Arab students in the Gulf region.
An international survey uncovered the reasons for their increasing discontentment.
The number of Middle Eastern students enrolling in American schools declined in recent years.
Between 2015 and 2023, the number of Emiratis studying in the United States dropped to nearly 50 percent.
Young people from neighboring Gulf nations are making the same move, with students from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait showing a significant decline.
Schools in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Asia are becoming more popular among Arab students in the region.
Personal safety, cost of living, tuition fees, risk of gun crime, and distance from families were among the factors considered by parents for their children who want to study abroad.
An unwelcoming environment and potential attacks on students from Chinese and Muslim schools studying in the U.S. have also discouraged more students from enrolling there.
Non-profit organization Open Doors International conducted the survey.
According to the survey, a few families still allow their kids to study in the U.S. especially if they enrolled at top schools due to the tremendous return of benefits and opportunities it can give their children from studying in these institutions.
