Set for a September launch, the new campus will begin by offering a full-time MBA programme specifically tailored for working professionals and entrepreneurs 

Dubai, April 09, 2025: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) has formalised an agreement to establish a new campus in Dubai, located within Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). The institution will introduce a full-time, one-year Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) programme, with classes expected to commence in September 2025. 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was officially signed on Tuesday in Mumbai by Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIM Ahmedabad and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. The agreement was signed in the presence of Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who is currently undertaking his first official visit to India. 

The new Dubai campus will begin by offering a full-time MBA programme specifically tailored for working professionals and entrepreneurs. The admissions process will involve a thorough two-stage selection procedure. Applicants must submit valid scores from either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), taken within the past five years. Based on these scores, along with academic qualifications and professional experience, candidates will be shortlisted for personal interviews. Those who successfully clear this stage will be granted admission. 

The MBA offering at IIM Ahmedabad’s Dubai campus aims to meet the advanced learning needs of professionals and business leaders seeking to sharpen their management skills. The programme will utilise IIM Ahmedabad’s distinctive case method approach to teaching. 

“This immersive programme, guided by IIMA’s acclaimed case method pedagogy, is designed to provide ambitious professionals with advanced insights into business strategy and operations. It also supports the UAE’s broader goals for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic progress,” said a statement issued by the institute.  

The development of the Dubai campus will proceed in two phases. Initially, the institute will be provided with academic space within the existing infrastructure of DIAC. In the subsequent phase, IIMA will be allocated land to construct a permanent campus, which is expected to be fully operational by 2029.