Abstract

In the current Information Age, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is switching from a natural resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one, requiring a preparation of the workforce. Entrepreneurship stands to promote the knowledge economy through the creation of innovative products, services, and technology; however, the majority of UAE workers are currently government employees. To establish a foothold in the knowledge economy, the UAE needs to invest in entrepreneurship education to create a prepared and effective workforce. The purpose of this study is to generate insight into the status of integration and implementation of entrepreneurship in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UAE. A qualitative approach based on thematic analysis of selected documents and semi-structured interviews was used to understand how entrepreneurship education is integrated and how educators in HEIs are implementing the integration. The findings of this study show that the integration of entrepreneurship education in UAE HEIs is still in its early stages. Where entrepreneurship education is implemented, course content needs to be contextualized so that it is accessible and relevant to students in the UAE.