NYU Abu Dhabi will begin offering an Executive MBA program through the Stern School of Business starting in August 2026, making NYU the highest-ranked U.S. business school to do so in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

Stern dean Bharat Anand said that the program is specifically designed to support executives in the MENA region while exposing them to international markets and leadership styles. Anand said in a statement to WSN that the school is using its “agile mindset,” to adapt to evolving market needs.

“With faculty on the ground in the region and coursework tailored for MENA executives, we are uniquely positioned to equip executives with the insights and connections they need to drive impact across the region and beyond,” Anand said.

The program is accepting applications from Sept. 9 to Oct. 28 and is expected to enroll an initial cohort of 30 to 40 students. Participants will receive an Executive MBA degree, jointly conferred by Stern and the Abu Dhabi campus. 

The EMBA program’s part-time structure is designed to be flexible for current business executives, so they can advance their education while continuing to work. Participants will earn 54 credits over the course of the 2-year program, which will include weeklong residencies in New York and Shanghai.

Students will develop projects with regional and global corporations, while also working with full-time faculty at Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi. The university has not yet announced which businesses it will be partnering with. Students will also take courses in strategic communication, leadership, financial accounting and global economy.

Robert Salomon, dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi, wrote in a statement to WSN that the program represented a chance for MENA executives to prepare themselves for leadership roles in rapidly developing industries.

“What differentiates Abu Dhabi from other hubs is that here, ambitious professionals often gain responsibility earlier in their careers and have a chance to contribute to industries still in rapid growth,” Salomon said. “The UAE is making remarkable progress in industries of the future.”

The Abu Dhabi campus announced its original MBA program in 2023. The one-year, full-time MBA program began in February 2025 with a cohort of 54 students, featuring partnerships with companies like Microsoft and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. 

“For experienced executives, the Executive MBA is a way to sharpen technical fluency in areas like finance, artificial intelligence and data analytics, while also building leadership skills,” Salomon wrote.

Contact Zachary Karp at [email protected].