The American University of Sharjah has announced that all classes will continue to be delivered online until further notice, in alignment with the UAE’s national distance learning mandate that has been in effect since early March 2026 and has now been extended through at least Sunday, April 5, 2026. The announcement, communicated through the university’s official AUS Community Updates page, confirms that academic continuity remains fully protected through approved online platforms while the safety and wellbeing of the entire campus community remain the institution’s highest priority.
American University of Sharjah will continue operating under distance learning and remote working arrangements, and all classes and examinations will be conducted online. Faculty members are requested to continue delivering their classes through approved online platforms. Students are expected to attend classes remotely as scheduled. Campus services, facilities and amenities continue to operate under the previously communicated arrangements until further notice.
The extended online arrangements place AUS alongside every other university and school in the UAE, as the country’s education system has responded with remarkable agility and coordination to an unprecedented period of regional security concern.
A Timeline of Distance Learning in the UAE: From Days to Weeks
What began as a short-term precautionary measure has evolved into an extended national educational continuity programme of a scale not previously seen in the UAE. Understanding the full sequence of decisions helps frame the current situation for AUS students, faculty, and parents.
Classes had initially shifted online from March 2, 2026. The measure was extended until March 6, 2026, before authorities announced an early spring break. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research earlier announced that the break would run from March 9 to 22, 2026, with classes scheduled to resume on March 23, 2026.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced that studies would shift to distance learning from Monday, 2 March 2026, until Wednesday, March 4, 2026, applicable for students and teaching and administrative staff across all public and private schools and universities nationwide. The decision was subject to ongoing assessment of the situation.
What followed was a series of weekly extensions as authorities continued to assess conditions on the ground. UAE schools, nurseries, and universities continued distance learning for two weeks after spring break, with the situation reviewed weekly.
Following the latest announcement by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council on March 16, 2026, distance learning for schools and higher education institutions was extended for an additional two weeks, from March 23 to April 5, 2026.
That directive places AUS’s current online-only posture squarely within the national framework, with the university operating in full compliance with the federal educational authorities’ direction.
The Context: Why Distance Learning Was Activated Nationwide
The decision to shift the entire UAE education system to distance learning beginning March 2, 2026 was not taken lightly. The move is part of a set of precautionary measures adopted by the UAE in response to ongoing regional developments, as authorities seek to maintain public safety while ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of essential services, including education.
Remote learning follows Iranian air strikes targeting the UAE, amid continued missile and drone threats. Since the onset of the attacks, 186 missiles were launched, most intercepted, and 812 drones were deployed, with 755 intercepted and limited impacts recorded.
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, official spokesperson for the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority, said that business continuity plans had been activated as a precautionary measure to ensure the readiness of vital sectors, with operational alternatives in place. The education process, he added, continues uninterrupted through the activation of remote learning systems.
For AUS, a campus that hosts students from dozens of countries across the globe, the stakes of getting this balance right between educational continuity and student and staff safety are particularly significant. American University of Sharjah continues to closely monitor developments in the region in coordination with the relevant authorities. The safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff remain our highest priority.
What the Current Arrangements Mean for AUS Students and Staff
For the roughly 6,000 students currently enrolled at AUS across undergraduate and graduate programmes in engineering, architecture, business, arts and sciences, and other disciplines, the practical implications of the extended distance learning arrangements are clear and consistently communicated.
Faculty members are requested to continue delivering their classes through approved online platforms. Students are expected to attend classes remotely as scheduled. Administrative staff will receive guidance from their respective supervisors regarding remote work arrangements and essential campus operations.
Critically, the academic calendar has been updated to reflect the disruptions. The academic calendar for 2025 to 2026 has been updated in March 2026, confirming that AUS has worked to realign examination schedules, assignment deadlines, and academic milestones with the realities of the extended online period.
Campus physical infrastructure has not been shut down entirely. Campus services, facilities and amenities continue to operate under the previously communicated arrangements until further notice, meaning that students who remain in Sharjah and staff members with essential on-campus responsibilities can continue to access the facilities they need, while the primary mode of academic instruction remains digital.
The Library, one of the most critical resources for student research and academic work, remains accessible. The Library is open from 8 a.m., providing continuity for students who require physical or digital research resources during the distance learning period.
The Weekly Review Mechanism: When Will Campus Resume?
One of the most frequently asked questions from students, parents, and faculty is straightforward: when will in-person classes resume? The honest answer, consistent with official communications from both the UAE government and AUS, is that no fixed return date has yet been confirmed. The system operates on a weekly review model.
The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will review the situation weekly. The resumption of distance learning comes after the spring break holiday, which was moved forward a week in the calendar. Distance learning has been introduced as a temporary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the country.
The situation will be reviewed weekly with updates being communicated through official channels by the Ministry of Education.
For private universities including AUS, there is also a formal pathway for requesting an earlier return to in-person instruction if circumstances warrant it. Private educational institutions, including schools, nurseries and higher education institutions, are allowed to submit requests to return to in-person learning when needed. Private institutions wishing to apply for a return to on-site learning must submit a formal request outlining the specific circumstances and providing clear justification for doing so. These requests will then be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education. The safety and wellbeing of students, staff and the wider community remains the key factor in the Ministry’s final decision.
AUS has not at the time of publication indicated that it has submitted such a request, with its current public communications focused on reassuring the community that online delivery is functioning effectively and that all academic commitments are being met through digital platforms.
AUS in Context: A University Built for Global Connectivity
While no university welcomes the disruption that extended distance learning necessarily brings, the American University of Sharjah is in many respects better positioned than most regional institutions to manage a prolonged period of remote instruction. As a leading university in the Gulf, American University of Sharjah provides world-class, American-style liberal arts education for students from around the world, a mission that has required the development of robust digital learning infrastructure and internationally connected academic systems long before the current situation arose.
The university’s experience of remote delivery during earlier periods of distance learning, combined with its globally connected student body and faculty who span multiple nationalities and time zones, provides an institutional foundation for online learning that many regional universities have had to build from scratch in recent years. Approved online platforms for class delivery, digital examination systems, virtual laboratory and studio environments for engineering and architecture programmes, and remote access to the university library’s extensive digital collections all form part of the infrastructure that AUS is currently deploying at scale.
Several international universities in the UAE told students and staff that teachers not currently in the UAE could continue to instruct remotely, a flexibility rarely permitted under standard rules. For students and staff, the switch to remote operations has given people the flexibility to do as they feel comfortable based on advice from their embassies and foreign missions.
This flexibility is particularly relevant for AUS, where the student body includes significant numbers of international students from countries whose governments have issued varied travel and safety advisories regarding the UAE. The ability to participate fully in the academic programme from outside the UAE during this period ensures that no student is academically disadvantaged by the personal safety decisions they and their families make in response to current regional conditions.
The Broader UAE University Community Response
AUS is not navigating this period in isolation. Across the UAE’s higher education sector, institutions have responded with consistent commitment to academic continuity and student welfare, aligned with the national distance learning framework. New York University Abu Dhabi said in a memo sent to faculty members that it would implement remote learning for the foreseeable future, to allow students and staff the opportunity to continue their work from outside the UAE. It said the switch to remote operations would give people the flexibility to do as they feel comfortable based on advice from their embassies and foreign missions.
Schools in the UAE are well positioned to cope with the extension of remote learning. “I don’t think anybody would say this is ideal. It’s a great inconvenience to families, but I think the message that our schools and universities are giving out is one of reassurance that we’re in a position to deliver a highly effective product that meets their students’ needs at this point,” said one Dubai-based education expert.
That assessment of inconvenience acknowledged alongside institutional capability applies equally well to AUS. The university’s community of students, faculty, and staff has responded with the adaptability and professionalism that characterises an institution accustomed to operating at international standards under all conditions.
Examinations and Academic Assessments: Continuity Confirmed
For students facing critical academic assessments including mid-term examinations, project submissions, and studio critiques during the distance learning period, AUS has been explicit in its communications. All classes and examinations scheduled will be conducted online, ensuring that academic progress is not interrupted and that students can meet their programme requirements without the risk of accumulated deferrals disrupting degree completion timelines.
The online delivery of examinations at a research-intensive university with programmes spanning engineering design, architectural studios, business analytics, and natural sciences requires careful adaptation of assessment formats and robust technical infrastructure. AUS’s investment in its digital academic infrastructure in recent years has positioned it to deliver these assessments with the academic integrity and technical reliability that students and accrediting bodies require.
The updated academic calendar published in March 2026 reflects these adjustments, providing students and faculty with the revised scheduling framework they need to plan their academic work through the remainder of the spring semester with confidence.
What to Watch For: Return to Campus Indicators
For students, parents, and staff monitoring the situation closely and planning around a potential return to in-person instruction, the key signals to watch are straightforward:
The weekly review announcements from the UAE Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, issued through official UAE government channels, represent the primary trigger for any change in AUS’s operational status. This page will be updated as new information becomes available, with the AUS Community Updates page on the university’s official website serving as the authoritative source for all AUS-specific guidance.
The Ministry of Education has cited ongoing security risks as the basis for the continued distance learning mandate, with the situation reviewed regularly. The extension holds particular significance for internationally mobile families and those considering travel decisions.
For international students, in particular, the weekly review cycle means that any decision about travel to or from the UAE should be taken with reference to the most recent official guidance from both the UAE authorities and their home country embassies, rather than on the assumption of a fixed return date.
A Message of Reassurance and Readiness
Throughout the period of distance learning, AUS’s communication with its community has been characterised by transparency, regularity, and a consistent prioritisation of safety alongside academic continuity. The institution has maintained its full academic programme online without cancellations or deferrals, campus support services including the library and essential facilities have remained accessible, and the administrative infrastructure for the university has continued to function through remote working arrangements.
For current and prospective students, the message from AUS is clear: the university’s academic mission continues without interruption, its commitment to the world-class American-style education it was founded to deliver remains unchanged, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of every member of its community remains the foundation of every decision it makes.
Updates from AUS regarding the resumption of in-person instruction will be communicated through the official AUS Community Updates page as soon as they are confirmed by the relevant UAE educational authorities.
