The UAE’s booming private education sector has attracted many UK universities to setup affiliate campuses in Dubai. An increasing number of UAE students are opting for an education in the United Kingdom with 19 per cent of the 18,500 GCC students studying in universities there. That’s according to Marc Jessel, the country director of British Council, who says a total of 3,200 UAE students are currently pursuing their college degree in the UK. Speaking at the Education UK Exhibition 2013, Jessel said that educational ties between the UAE and the UK have strengthened over the past few decades. Business management is the most popular degree among UAE students in the UK followed by degrees in medicine and engineering. Jessel also said that a large number of courses and tests are being brought into the UAE by UK firms. According to the British Council, the UAE remains one of the few countries that widely follows UK courses and tests in schools and universities. The UAE is also one of the fastest growing private education markets in the world with a value of $1.9 billion in 2012. In order to tap into the booming education market, many UK universities have been opening affiliate campuses in Dubai. Manchester Business School, Heriot Watt University, London School of Business and Middlesex University all have a presence in the emirate. Source: Education News