Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi Launches Executive MBA Program to Equip Senior Leaders to Drive Organizational Growth and Regional Impact
- Launch of the first Executive MBA program by a top-ranked US business school in the UAE and MENA region, designed for experienced leaders. Applications open September 9, 2025.
- Combines rigorous global curriculum with regional expertise and immersive residencies in New York and Shanghai, and connects participants to an international alumni network across 130+ countries.
- Delivered part-time over 23 months, enabling senior professionals to accelerate their careers and deliver strategic value to their organizations with the flexibility required by executives and employers.
Abu Dhabi, UAE — The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi (Stern at NYUAD) today announced the launch of its Executive MBA (EMBA) program. The program is designed for experienced professionals seeking to accelerate their leadership trajectory in the MENA region while amplifying their organizational impact. Applications open on September 9, 2025.
As the highest globally-ranked US business school offering an EMBA in the MENA region, the 23-month part-time program offers a flexible structure for seasoned executives to pursue their education without pausing their careers. This format enables organizations to retain and further develop their top talent, ensuring immediate application of new strategies, frameworks, and leadership competencies in the workplace.
Candidates will engage in a curriculum anchored in the academic rigor of NYU Stern’s top-ranked EMBA programs and contextualized for the MENA region. Graduates will receive a fully accredited MBA degree, jointly conferred by NYU Stern and NYU Abu Dhabi, joining a vibrant alumni network of over 114,000 graduates spanning more than 130 countries.
“The launch of the Executive MBA program at Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi underscores our commitment to empowering experienced leaders who will shape the future of business both regionally and globally,” said Interim Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi Fabio Piano. “This milestone strengthens our academic offering and advances NYU Abu Dhabi’s mission as a world-class research university and a catalyst for leadership, innovation, and impact across the UAE and beyond. By combining rigorous academic foundations, practical business expertise, and an unparalleled global network, the program reinforces Abu Dhabi’s growing role as a center for knowledge and economic transformation.”
The program features two week-long global residencies in New York City and Shanghai, giving participants access to international business ecosystems and insights into some of the world’s most dynamic markets. At the same time, students will benefit from continuous interaction with Stern at NYUAD’s full-time faculty, a distinguished group of global scholars and industry experts based in Abu Dhabi.
“The rapid growth across the MENA region is creating robust demand for top talent, and Stern at NYUAD is well positioned to help meet that need,” said Bharat Anand, Dean of NYU Stern. “Building on the success of our one-year MBA for early-career professionals, the new Executive MBA offers working professionals a rigorous, flexible program with world-class on-the-ground faculty and strong ties to local corporate networks.”
Participants will strengthen their strategic problem-solving skills, work closely with leading regional and international corporate partners through hands-on experiential learning projects that address real challenges and opportunities, and expand their professional networks. This deep integration with the business community reflects Stern at NYUAD’s mission as a regional anchor institution supporting the UAE’s economic diversification and human capital development.
"Our vision is to create a transformative executive MBA experience that equips experienced professionals with the knowledge, skills, and global perspective to lead with purpose and innovate in an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment," said Robert Salomon, Dean of Stern at NYUAD. "The EMBA program exemplifies this vision by fostering a connected, forward-looking community of leaders who will drive meaningful change in their organizations, industries, and economies."
Applications are now open for the inaugural EMBA cohort, which will begin in August 2026. Interested candidates can learn more at stern.nyuad.nyu.edu.
About Stern at NYUAD
The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi is the top US Business school in the region. Stern at NYUAD is an academic enterprise that is uniquely positioned to influence management and business in MENA. The School offers premier, internationally distinguished business degrees, tailored for aspiring leaders in the UAE and abroad. Stern at NYUAD gathers a global community of learners and talented professionals to equip them with a strong business and management foundation through an innovative curriculum taught by esteemed faculty. Through dynamic coursework, innovative teaching avenues, and real-world opportunities the programs aim to accelerate careers in a dynamic global economy.
About NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 35 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
About NYU Stern School of Business
New York University Stern School of Business, located in the heart of Greenwich Village and deeply connected with the City for which it is named, is one of the nation’s premier management education schools and research centers. NYU Stern offers a broad portfolio of transformational programs at the graduate, undergraduate and executive levels, all of them enriched by the dynamism and deep resources of one of the world’s business capitals. NYU Stern is a welcoming community that inspires its members to embrace and lead change in a rapidly transforming world.