In the shimmering desert just outside Doha, Qatar, a remarkable transformation is underway. Over the past few weeks, hundreds of students from across the globe have arrived in this unlikely education hub, drawn by the promise of an American-style education without ever setting foot in the United States. For many, it’s a strategic middle ground—especially as the US tightens its student visa policies, making the traditional path less certain than ever before.
This cluster of universities, known locally as Education City, is funded by Qatar’s immense wealth—bolstered by a $500 billion sovereign wealth fund and a per capita GDP of more than $70,000, according to The Economic Times. Here, prestigious American institutions like Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Texas A&M, and Virginia Commonwealth have set up offshore branches, joined by French business school HEC Paris and Qatar’s own Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Total enrollment in this educational enclave has surged by about 12% in 2025, reaching a record 4,463 students.
For the universities involved, the timing couldn’t be better. As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to clash with major US institutions, freezes billions in government funding, and threatens to bar or delay visas for foreign students, international arrivals in the US have been declining. In July 2025, the number of visitors arriving on US student permits fell year-on-year for the fourth consecutive month, according to the International Trade Administration. The ripple effect is being felt far beyond American shores.
Francisco Marmolejo, president of higher education at the Qatar Foundation—which funds Education City—explained to The Economic Times, “What is happening in the United States is triggering a much more dynamic movement of international education outside of the United States. Parents and students no longer see the US as the only place where they consider that education might be the option.”
For students like the South Asian woman who arrived at Northwestern Qatar this August, the decision was deeply personal. She told The Economic Times that, although she had been accepted to several US schools, her family was worried about the recent arrests and deportations of international students. “Getting an American education in Doha seemed like an astute middle path,” she said, requesting anonymity to discuss private matters.
Yet, the rapid growth of Qatar’s education hub is not without controversy. Texas A&M, one of the initial partners, terminated its agreement early in 2024 after concerns over research collaborations in the region and has not enrolled a freshman class for the second year running. The move sparked fears that other universities might follow suit, but so far, those fears have not materialized. Instead, Georgetown and Carnegie Mellon have recently extended their Qatar contracts by a decade, signaling a long-term commitment to the region.
Still, the presence of American universities in Qatar has drawn scrutiny back in Washington. Critics argue that Qatar, which hosts an office of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, is using partnerships with US schools to extend its influence in the United States and to propagate anti-Israel and antisemitic views. In April 2025, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticized the Biden administration for “allowing nations like China and Qatar to funnel billions of dollars to US universities with little to no oversight.” She warned that such funding could reshape how elite campuses teach about Israel and the Middle East.
Qatar, for its part, has pushed back against these accusations. Officials insist that their payments to universities are not gifts but fees for operating campuses, and that the colleges independently handle teaching without interference from the Gulf state. Meanwhile, students and their families are more interested in the day-to-day experience: a safe environment, interest-free education loans, and the possibility of having those loans written off by working in Qatar for a few years.
Education City’s ambitions show no sign of slowing. The hub is developing a new model to bring academic programs from several international colleges onto a single Doha campus, with plans to repurpose the space vacated by Texas A&M. Once populated mainly by students from nearby countries, the district now attracts young people from as far away as Central Asia, Africa, and South America. As The Economic Times notes, Qatar is leveraging its natural gas wealth to diversify its economy, train its population, and boost its soft power around the globe.
But Qatar’s growing role on the world stage is a double-edged sword. The country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, acts as a vital US ally, and has played an outsized role in regional politics by mediating talks with Hamas and Iran. This summer, as Iran and Israel exchanged missile attacks—including one that struck a US base in Qatar and another that targeted Hamas offices in Doha—life in the city quickly returned to normal. Yet, as The Economic Times points out, repeated involvement in regional conflict could threaten Qatar’s reputation as a safe haven for students and businesses alike.
For the American universities, the financial incentives are clear, though not overwhelming. Cornell University, for instance, receives a $2 million annual management fee, while its Doha medical school is funded to the tune of $130 million per year—a total of $1.3 billion since 2012, most of which is kept for local operations. Still, the long-term potential is hard to ignore. As Marmolejo put it, “It is no longer just a US sort of sector. It is literally a global one.”
Qatar’s educational ambitions are mirrored by its appetite for skilled labor, particularly from South Asia. On October 3, 2025, the PSDF-Tabeer program—launched under the Chief Minister’s Skilled Punjab Program—facilitated overseas employment for more than 65 youth from Punjab, Pakistan, who received job offer letters to work as lead workers in Qatar. According to The Express Tribune, this batch is expected to contribute nearly $250,000 annually in remittances to Pakistan, with each worker typically sending home between $3,000 and $5,000 per year. In 2024 alone, Pakistan received over $32 billion in remittances, a vital economic lifeline.
Adnan Afzal Chattha, chairperson of the CM Task Force on Skills Development, hailed the achievement as part of a broader vision. “This milestone aligns with the chief minister’s vision of exporting skilled workers to the Gulf region. It is only the beginning of what we aim to accomplish, as many more such opportunities are in the pipeline. The journey has just started, and there is much more to come,” he told The Express Tribune.
The Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), established by the Punjab government in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is the largest skills development fund in Pakistan. Over the past decade, it has funded training for more than 500,000 youth in over 250 trades, working with more than 500 training service providers across the private sector and industry.
As competition for international students heats up—not only from Qatar but also from the UK, China, and the UAE—young people and their families are weighing their options with new urgency. Some are attracted by the diversity and scholarship offers at campuses like NYU Abu Dhabi, while others see Doha as a safe, affordable, and globally connected alternative to the US.
In the end, Qatar’s education and employment initiatives reflect a broader shift in global mobility. As the US rethinks its role in international higher education and skilled migration, new hubs are rising—offering students and workers alike a shot at the future, just a little farther from home.
