Arab Fashion Council and FAD Dubai launch scholarship fund

The Arab Fashion Council (AFC), which represents the fashion industry across 22 Arab countries, is collaborating with FAD Dubai, the region’s fashion and luxury education institution, to launch a scholarship fund designed to “support and empower the next generation of creative talent globally”.

The 1.3 million United Arab Emirates dirham fund will be used to support 100 fully-funded scholarships aimed at equipping emerging creatives with the skills, industry exposure, and practical experience required to thrive within Dubai’s rapidly evolving fashion and luxury sectors.

Daline Eluar, chief admission officer at the Arab Fashion Council, said in a statement: “We strongly believe that education and access are fundamental to shaping the future of the region’s creative industries.

“Through this initiative, we are proud to support emerging talent not only the Middle East but also internationally by creating meaningful pathways into fashion, luxury, and creative careers.”

The initiative aims to develop future-ready talent through education and industry-focused learning, while also strengthening the city’s fashion and luxury ecosystem. The programme will offer two fully funded study pathways at the FAD Dubai campus, including 50 one-week course scholarships valid across multiple intakes over a 12-month period, as well as 50 three-month course scholarships. The three-month pathway includes enrolment into a programme commencing in June 2026, alongside a fully funded second three-month course redeemable during either the September 2026 or February 2027 intake.

Participants will be able to select from a wide portfolio of programmes across fashion, luxury, styling, communication, business, and creative disciplines, in both physical and digital learning formats, in order to expand accessibility across the region and internationally.

Of the one-week scholarships, 30 programmes will be conducted physically at the FAD Dubai Campus for UAE residents, while 20 online scholarships will be made available to applicants across Lebanon and other impacted regions beyond the Middle East. All three-month programmes will be delivered physically at the FAD Dubai Campus.

Shirin Aminian, co-founder of FAD Dubai, added: “As one of the region’s leading fashion institutions, we see it as our responsibility to support emerging talent with access to industry-led education and real opportunities within the creative industries.”