Tuesday March 24, 2026 | COLWOOD, BC [Posted at 10:38 am PT & updated 2:20 pm | Updated March 29, 2026]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Royal Roads University (RRU) is based in Colwood on south Vancouver Island.
A satellite campus that RRU has been operating overseas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been physically closed due to the war activity in nearby Iran. Online courses have continued.
The building closure is being called “temporary” by Royal Roads in a statement to Island Social Trends today.
Location:
The RRU UAE campus has operated for a few years at Ras Al Khaimah — about an hour north of the UAE capital city of Dubai. The campus is on Level 30 in Julphar Towers.
The status goal for the campus is “to redefine learning in the UAE”, according to the campus website.
Situation being monitored:
“The campus is currently closed while we continue to monitor the situation and ensure appropriate supports and flexible learning options are in place to avoid education disruptions,” said RRU in a statement to Island Social Trends yesterday.
“We remain in close contact with our colleagues and students there. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” says RRU.
Some faculty began vacating the campus on February 28 — the same day that US President Trump announced bombing of nearby Iran with the goal of regime change in that country.
UAE has been a westernizing Middle East nation in recent years. Prime Minister Mark Carney was recently in UAE for a trade mission in November 2025.
UAE campus background:
The UAE campus officially opened nearly a year ago, on April 28, 2025. It is located in Ras Al Khaimah (an industrial port city with a population of nearly 192,000 people) approximately 90 minutes north of Dubai.
The number of students, faculty and staff that were on site in UAE at the end of February when the USA first bombed in Iran is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, the campus has 689 students enrolled for mostly online courses.
The programs offered at the RRU UAE campus are presented as offering the opportunity for real-world challenges, industry connections, and building a global network.
- Undergraduate courses include degrees in Business Administration, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Science.
- Post-graduate (Masters) degrees are offered in Business Administration, Arts and Business Administration Executive Management.
Closer to home:
Yesterday RRU announced a graduate education partnership with Mount Royal University (MRU) based in Calgary.
While the RRU main campus is at the Hatley Castle site in Colwood, there is also a nearby downtown Langford campus opened in September 2025 with a focus on delivery of undergraduate programs.
Ministry comment:
“While the Ministry provides operating grants to public post-secondary institutions, under governing legislation, these institutions are responsible for administering their services, including managing facilities and the operations of programs,” says the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills in a statement to Island Social Trends today.
===== RELATED:
- Royal Roads launches partnered program in Calgary (March 23, 2026)
- Canada’s economy impacted by Iran conflict, G7 supports Middle East partners (March 22, 2026)
- Post-secondary institutions should adjust to current conditions, says Ministry (March 12, 2026)
- Royal Roads University priorities for 2026-2027 (March 1, 2026)
- USA & Israel launch bombing in Iran (February 28, 2026)
- Deepening bilateral engagement and economic cooperation between Canada and UAE (November 23, 2025)
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