A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)

In a remarkable coincidence, two childhood friends from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), who grew up attending the same school and college, have this year earned the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships, which enables them to study at the University of Oxford.

Two NYUAD undergraduate students,  Alya Alhabtari and Firas Darwish, have been chosen as Rhodes Scholars from the UAE. They will go to Oxford University in October 2025 to pursue further studies. The scholarship enables them to complete their studies over a period of two to three years at the prestigious university.

The two students were picked from a shortlist of 11 candidates chosen from across the UAE after a rigorous selection process, which included a personal and professional essay, interviews, and several other components.

The winners were selected by a committee led by Omar Saif Ghobash, Adviser to the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In exclusive interviews with Aletihad, Alhabtari and Darwish shared their excitement about their selection and aspirations for the future. 

Both of them expressed gratitude to NYUAD for providing the necessary support to compete for the scholarship. NYUAD has a record of producing Rhodes Scholars in significant numbers, with 24 of its students having made it to Oxford under the programme so far. Most Rhodes Scholars from the UAE, except a few, are alumni of NYUAD.

Alya Alhabtari

Alhabtari, an Emirati national, said achieving the scholarship had been her dream since she began her undergraduate studies at NYUAD. She hopes to pursue an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy and a Master's in Public Policy, which will prepare her to help advance the UAE's foreign aid strategies.


  • Alhabtari, who is pursuing a double major in political science and economics, said: "Representing the UAE as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University is an honourable commitment to creating beneficial and impactful change."

    An avid debater, Alhabtari said her debating skills were a big plus point during the selection process. "As a debater, I had the opportunity to represent my university in international debate competitions," she said. Alhabtari represented the UAE at the 13th edition of Pro-Am Championship of the IIT Bombay in 2021 and won it, becoming the first Emirati woman to win an international debating competition. 

    Alhabtari hopes to make a difference in the world by joining the UAE foreign service as a diplomat. "I hope to shape policies and initiatives that counter gender inequality and empower women in countries that receive UAE foreign aid," she said.

    She is the ninth Emirati woman from NYUAD to join the Rhodes community. Among them is the UAE's first Rhodes Scholar, Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, who is also the UAE's Minister for Community Empowerment.

    Firas Darwish

    Darwish, of Jordanian origin and born and raised in the UAE, intends to pursue an MSc in Advanced Computer Science and a Master's in Public Policy.

    A computer science major at NYUAD, Darwish highlighted the university's role in broadening his horizons. "As a student whose learning has been enriched by the global voices of the NYUAD community, I am overjoyed to be joining an equally international community of thinkers at the University of Oxford," he said.

    Darwish also praised NYUAD for providing exceptional industry and research opportunities in Abu Dhabi that allowed him to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) in both practice and theory. "NYUAD's curriculum stresses the value of connecting intellectually with other disciplines," he said.


Darwish looks forward to his time at Oxford and hopes to learn from the "diverse global perspectives on digital regulation that illuminate the halls of Rhodes House". 

His primary areas of interest include digital regulations and removing bias in AI-driven systems. "I look forward to organising my own panel at the annual Rhodes Forum on Technology and Society to shine a spotlight on the Middle East's efforts in building a human-centred framework for AI development," he added. 

Darwish is keen to build on the career legacy of his father, who studied electrical engineering and his mother, who studied computer science. He hopes to be an ideal blend of his father and mother. 

Darwish expressed pride in representing the UAE at Oxford. "I am deeply honoured to have been selected to represent the UAE both intellectually and culturally on an international level among other Rhodes Scholars from around the world."

The Rhodes Scholarship is a prestigious international award that allows outstanding students to continue their studies at the University of Oxford. Each year, approximately 100 scholars are selected from over 60 countries worldwide.

Established through the will of Cecil John Rhodes in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most renowned international scholarship programme in the world.

Initially known as the Falcon Scholarship in the UAE, the Rhodes Scholarship is supported by an endowment from the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation. The Rhodes Trust collaborates with the Foundation to manage the application and selection process for UAE candidates.