The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi (Stern at NYUAD), a collaboration between the NYU Stern School of Business (NYU Stern) and NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), has announced its official inauguration. The milestone moment was marked with a formal ceremony and a VIP tour of its state-of-the-art facilities on NYUAD’s campus. 

The ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Shamma bint Sohail Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment; His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, NYU Trustee and Managing Director and Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company; Rima Al Mokarrab, NYU Trustee and Chair of Tamkeen; His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Minister of State and UAE Ambassador to the US; His Excellency Ahmed Tamim Al Kuttab, Chairman of the Department of Government Enablement; Her Excellency Martina Strong, US Ambassador to the UAE; Linda G. Mills, President of New York University (NYU); John Tate, CEO of Tamkeen; Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar; Ala'a Eraiqat, CEO of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank; Professor Fabio Piano, Interim Vice Chancellor of NYUAD; Arlie Petters, Provost of NYU Abu Dhabi; J.P. Eggers, Dean of NYU Stern; Robert Salomon, Dean of Stern at NYUAD, and Fatima Abdalla, Senior Vice Provost for Strategy and Planning.

NYU Stern is the highest globally ranked business school offering a full-time MBA in UAE and MENA. Stern at NYUAD graduates will earn a fully accredited MBA degree, jointly conferred by NYU Stern and NYU Abu Dhabi, connecting them to a global alumni network spanning over 130 countries.

Rima Al Mokarrab said: “The launch of the Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi is a testament to the dynamic and longstanding partnership between NYU and Abu Dhabi, underscoring a mutual commitment to cultivating innovators and leaders of tomorrow. This groundbreaking new school contributes to Abu Dhabi as a hub for business and innovation. Together, we are creating an environment where world-class talent, cutting-edge research, and industry collaboration converge.”

Stern at NYUAD’s inaugural programme offering a one-year full-time MBA welcomes a cohort of 54 highly accomplished candidates with a competitive average GPA of 3.6. The cohort represents 25 countries, with the largest groups from the UAE and the United States, along with strong representation from India, China, and Pakistan, bringing a diverse and global perspective to the classroom.

On average, the candidates have five years of professional experience. 100 per cent of the cohort have strong work experience, with the majority of them having worked in top-tier international companies and public sector organisations, including Aldar, Bain & Company, Intel, KPMG, JP Morgan, and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

Linda G. Mills said: “The inaugural cohort of MBA students at Stern at NYUAD embodies the future of global business leadership. This programme reflects NYU’s commitment to delivering transformative global education and equipping exceptional students with the skills, networks, and experiences needed to drive progress and innovation in a rapidly evolving marketplace.”

Stern at NYUAD boasts an exceptional faculty, holding PhDs from some of the world’s leading business schools, including NYU, MIT, London Business School, HEC Paris, Harvard Business School, Wharton, and INSEAD. It has recruited 11 prominent full-time faculty from some of the world's most ambitious academic and professional institutions who will teach and conduct research in Abu Dhabi.

Fabio Piano, interim Vice Chancellor of NYUAD, said: “The opening of Stern at NYUAD is a pivotal milestone in NYU Abu Dhabi’s mission as a leader in global higher education contributing to the UAE’s growth. Over the past 15 years, NYUAD has redefined academic excellence, and the launch of this program signals our ambition for even greater achievements by broadening our academic offerings to include a world-class MBA. This programme will help fuel the knowledge economy of the UAE by preparing graduates to lead with purpose, innovation, and a global mindset, reflecting NYUAD’s enduring impact in the region and beyond.”

With 54 credits, Stern at NYUAD’s inaugural MBA programme matches the rigor of two-year MBA programmes while allowing students to complete their degree in just one year, in response to both student and market demands. Designed for early-career professionals, the program equips graduates to capitalise on the region’s dynamic growth across private and public sectors.

The programme includes modules in Abu Dhabi and New York City, providing students with international exposure and drawing on industry expertise from prominent UAE and global business leaders. A key feature of the programme is its hands-on experiential projects with top-tier corporate partners, including Microsoft, Hub 71, ADGM, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, providing students with practical, real-world business experience.

J.P. Eggers, Dean of the NYU Stern School of Business, said: “Collaborating with NYU Abu Dhabi to design and deliver a first-of-its-kind MBA in the MENA region that creates opportunities for both students and employers is exactly the kind of innovation we get truly excited about at Stern. Built on our high standards of teaching and research excellence, this unique MBA offers students a dynamic, immersive, accelerated educational experience in two of the most exciting cities in the world.”

At the helm of the programme as Dean is Robert Salomon, an award-winning scholar and educator with more than 25 years of experience in globalisation and global strategy. Salomon, a faculty member at Stern since 2005, where he served as Vice Dean for Executive Programs, is the author of the highly regarded Global Vision: How Companies Can Overcome the Pitfalls of Globalization. 

Salomon said: “Our vision for Stern at NYUAD is to cultivate a world-class talent pool that will drive the UAE and MENA economies forward, addressing the growing need for industry leadership in this dynamic region. By blending NYU’s global network, Stern’s reputation for academic excellence, and Abu Dhabi’s strategic position as a global business hub, we have created a transformative MBA programme that attracts diverse and exceptional professionals. The goal is to equip the next generation of leaders with the academic tools, skills, and perspectives necessary to harness innovation and shape the future of global business.”

For more information about the MBA programme, visit: stern.nyuad.edu/mba