Can you use AI in your thesis or dissertation? What UAE and GCC universities’ published AI policies say (2026), plus a disclosure statement template
A reference guide for master’s, PhD and DBA students in the UAE and the wider GCC. It sets out what each university has actually published on generative AI, quoted from its own documents, and gives you a disclosure statement you can adapt. Last checked 29 September 2026.
The short answer. It depends on your university, and then on your supervisor. We checked 16 universities in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, and found ten published documents that set out rules for students’ use of AI. Of those ten, seven treat presenting AI output as your own work, or using AI without permission or acknowledgement, as plagiarism or an integrity breach. Eight require you to acknowledge or disclose your AI use. Seven make your instructor, course or assessment brief the authority on what is allowed. Three name theses or dissertations explicitly. For the other universities, we either found only an announcement that a policy exists, or no public policy at all. If your university is one of them, ask your supervisor or library, and get the answer in writing. On 6 October 2026 we added five Dubai branch and private campuses whose published rules cover AI use: Birmingham, Middlesex, Heriot-Watt, Curtin and Amity (rows below).
What UAE and GCC universities publish on AI use
Every statement below comes from the university’s own policy, catalog, handbook, library guide or official news page, which we opened on 29 September 2026. Where a university has announced a policy but not published its text, we say so. Most of these documents are written for courses and assessments. For a thesis, your supervisor or graduate studies office normally plays the role the policy gives to the instructor, so ask them which rules apply to your programme.
| University | What is allowed | What needs permission or disclosure | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE University (UAEU) | The university “allows students to use GenAI tools for academic and research purposes”, and the policy’s scope includes “theses, dissertations”. Assistive uses such as brainstorming, structuring, proofreading and translating are possible “as specified by the tutor”. Grammar tools are permitted, but substantive content changes “may be considered Academic Misconduct”. | “Students should add a declaration” when adapting AI-generated material, even if it is fully rewritten. Using AI content without acknowledgement “is considered plagiarism”. | Generative AI Usage by the Students Policy (effective date printed as 11-08-2025; next review 01-09-2027) |
| Khalifa University | Use within the “authorized usage agreed by a KU student’s tutors” for a module or assessment. We found no separate AI rule for theses in the catalog. | Using generative AI “in any capacity that exceeds” that authorised usage is listed as a form of plagiarism. | Graduate Catalog 2026–2027, Forms of Plagiarism |
| American University of Sharjah (AUS) | Students may not use AI to produce assessed work “unless that use is explicitly permitted by the course instructor”. The policy covers undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning. | Acknowledge any use “including the name and version number of the tool(s)”. Students take “full responsibility for the accuracy” of AI output. | Policy 0.f, Generative AI (GAI) Tools in Teaching and Learning, effective 1 January 2024 (linked from the AUS Library AI guide; its next revision was due May 2026, so check for a newer version) |
| University of Sharjah | The Graduate Studies Council (meeting of 09-02-2026) adopted a “Responsible AI Use Policy” for graduate theses and master’s and doctoral coursework. The policy is an attachment that is not included in the public file. | Policy text not public. Ask the College of Graduate Studies or your supervisor for the attached policy. | College of Graduate Studies circular, 3 March 2026 |
| Zayed University | “Unauthorized use of AI Tools is considered cheating and/or plagiarism” under ZU guidelines. Professors “may allow limited use” with proper citation, case by case. | Where use is permitted, the Library recommends a written declaration of which tools were used and how extensively, a description including the prompts, and a citation for the tool. | ZU Library guide, AI & Academic Integrity at ZU and Acknowledgment of AI Tools (last updated 10 February 2026) |
| American University in Dubai (AUD) | No separate AI-use policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. | The handbook’s definition of plagiarism includes unacknowledged “material, text, images or designs from generative artificial intelligence tools”. | Student Handbook 2025–2026 |
| British University in Dubai (BUiD) | AI may be used in a dissertation or thesis only if “explicitly authorised in the assignment specification” and used as authorised. During writing, AI should “only be used to improve readability and language”. The document is marked “Draft Policy”. | Disclose the tool, its purpose and the extent of use, in the methods, the acknowledgements or an “AI Use Statement”, with the tool’s name and version. Attach the AI Usage Declaration Form to every dissertation or thesis, including when no AI was used. Keep drafts. | Policies and Procedures Manual V13.0 (AY 2025–26), Policy 5.8 Generative AI Usage Guidelines, last revised 15 September 2025 |
| University of Birmingham Dubai | Research students may use third-party editors or generative AI to proofread and improve the style and presentation of the thesis. | That use must be explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. In taught (PGT) dissertations, AI-generated content is not allowed unless your School permits it. Proofreading or editorial help, by a person or by AI, must not improve your academic arguments, add content or change meaning. | Presenting your thesis (PGR); GenAI guidance for PGT dissertations; Code of Practice on Academic Integrity 2026–27, Appendix A.1.6 |
| Middlesex University Dubai | No separate Dubai AI policy found. | The University’s generative AI policy says use of Gen AI in producing work should be transparent and always disclosed, including use to improve spelling, punctuation and grammar. | Generative AI in Learning, Teaching and Assessment policy (Middlesex University; implemented September 2026), paras 10 and 18 |
| Heriot-Watt University Dubai | Using generative AI to fix grammar and spelling is allowed. | AI-generated rewrites must be avoided. Taught students who use a proofreader must declare it when they submit. | Proofreading guidance v1.0, April 2025 (Heriot-Watt University, all campuses) |
| Curtin University Dubai | Research students may use AI, with disclosure. | Taught units: generative AI is not permitted in any assessment task unless the Unit Coordinator explicitly grants written permission. Research theses: AI use, including the software name and version, is to be disclosed in the thesis. | Curtin GenAI guidance for students; Guidelines for the use of AI in research, 25 August 2026 |
| Amity University Dubai | No separate AI-use policy found. | Using AI tools to generate work, wholly or in part, without proper citation or acknowledgement counts as plagiarism (except AI use approved in advance for a student’s disability). | Graduate Catalog 2025–2026, §20.1.1 |
| Qatar University | Responsible use in teaching, research and administration, by all university affiliates including students. Users must refrain from “relying on generative artificial intelligence in writing research papers, assignments, or theses”. | Disclose any AI use in academic or research work and clarify “the scope and extent” of that use. Do not enter personal or confidential data. The user remains “fully responsible” for the content. | Instructions on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools at Qatar University, approved 25 December 2025 (English translation; the Arabic version prevails) |
| Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) | No public policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. | hbku.edu.qa searched, 29 September 2026 | |
| King Saud University (KSU) | No public policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. | ksu.edu.sa searched, 29 September 2026 | |
| King Abdulaziz University (KAU) | Each instructor sets the course level: prohibited, allowed with prior permission, allowed with citation, or allowed with conditions (§5.5). Acceptable examples may include brainstorming, proofreading content the student wrote, simplifying complex concepts, translating texts and designing media with citation (§5.6). Unacceptable examples may include solving assignments and exams by generating text or scientific content, writing research papers, and fully rewriting assignments or research (§5.7). | Where a course allows AI, the instructor explains how to cite AI-generated content (§5.8). The research rules list disclosure of AI use and avoiding plagiarism and misattribution. | Guide and Policies for the Use of AI in Education and Scientific Research, first edition, August 2024, approved by the University Council (Arabic; checked 5 October 2026) |
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) | No public policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. | kfupm.edu.sa searched, 29 September 2026 | |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | No public policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. A former KAUST English-programme page on AI now redirects elsewhere. | kaust.edu.sa searched, 29 September 2026 | |
| Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) | No public university-wide policy found. Ask your supervisor or library. Rules are set in course outlines: two Spring 2026 outlines we opened bar AI in assessments, and one requires students “to disclose the use or non-use of generative AI”. | COMP3203 course outline and FPMT0108 course outline, Spring 2026 | |
| Kuwait University | With faculty permission: help with grammar and clarity, brainstorming, summarising and understanding concepts. Not acceptable: “Copying GenAI text and using it as your own work (even if paraphrased)”. | Use “without the explicit permission of faculty” is treated as “cheating/plagiarism”. Faculty may ask for the tools used, the parts AI assisted, and the prompts. | Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Policy for Kuwait University, November 2024 |
| University of Bahrain | AI may be used “to improve language and writing style, propose structures for academic texts, and generate preliminary drafts, provided that these outputs are reviewed by humans”. In research it may support study design, data analysis and idea generation, subject to human review. | Students “should disclose their use of artificial intelligence in academic work”, and users must specify the tools or models used. “Full reliance” on AI for assessments that measure critical thinking, creativity and understanding is prohibited. In research, disclose AI’s role in data analysis, literature review and interpretation. Violations go to disciplinary action. | Artificial Intelligence Usage Regulation (UOB-VP-AA-RE-007), University Council resolution 169/2025, approved 27 March 2025. The live file has moved; read from the archived copy, 5 October 2026. |
How to read this table: a policy sets the outer limits. Your course, module or thesis brief sets the actual rules, and your supervisor can be stricter than the policy. “No public policy found” means we could not find one in public. It does not mean there is no rule, and it does not mean AI is allowed.
What an AI disclosure statement usually contains
The published policies above, and the main publishing and style bodies, ask for the same few facts. BUiD asks for a statement in the methods, the acknowledgements or a dedicated “AI Use Statement”, giving the tool’s name and version and how and why it was used. AUS asks for the name and version number. Zayed University’s library recommends listing the prompts. Qatar University asks for the scope and extent of use. APA Style’s 2025 guidance, Citing generative AI in APA Style, recommends naming the tool (and model) in the text, usually in the Method section, keeping your prompts for your own records, and including them in an appendix where that helps readers. APA no longer asks for a version number by default. The ICMJE Recommendations (updated January 2026) and COPE’s position statement on authorship and AI tools (13 February 2023) both say AI cannot be an author and that authors must describe how they used it.
- Tool and model, for example ChatGPT-5 or Claude Sonnet 4, plus a version number if your university asks for one (AUS and BUiD do).
- Purpose: exactly what you used it for, chapter by chapter, and what you did not use it for.
- Prompts kept: where your prompts and outputs are stored, and whether they are in an appendix.
- Permission: who authorised the use, and when, if your rules require permission.
- Human verification: that you checked the output, verified every reference against the original, and take full responsibility for the content.
Adapt this template to your university’s wording and form. Where your university has its own declaration form, such as BUiD’s, use that form and add this text only if it asks for detail.
Statement on the use of generative AI
In preparing this [thesis / dissertation / chapter], I used [tool and model, for example ChatGPT-5 (OpenAI, 2025)] between [month and year] and [month and year] for the following purposes only: [for example, suggesting search terms for the literature review in Chapter 2; checking the grammar and clarity of paragraphs I had already written in Chapters 3 to 5].
I did not use it to [for example, generate text presented as my own, analyse or interpret my data, or write my findings and conclusions].
This use was authorised by [supervisor’s name and role] on [date]. My prompts and the outputs I used are [kept on file and available on request / included in Appendix X].
I reviewed and edited all AI output, checked every reference against its original source, and take full responsibility for the content of this work. No AI tool is listed as an author.
If you used no AI, some universities still want a statement. BUiD’s form, for example, must be attached “regardless of whether you used AI or not”. A single line is enough: “I did not use generative AI tools in preparing this work.”
Five habits that protect your thesis
- 1
Ask before you use, and keep the answer. Ask your supervisor what AI use is allowed for your thesis, and keep the email. Kuwait University, AUS and Khalifa University all treat use beyond what was authorised as a breach.
- 2
Keep drafts and version history. Save dated drafts, notes, and the version history in Word or Google Docs. BUiD tells researchers to “maintain drafts” that show the human-led development of the work. Your drafts are your best evidence if your work is ever questioned.
- 3
AI is never an author. Do not list an AI tool as an author or co-author. BUiD, COPE, ICMJE and APA all agree, because authorship brings responsibilities that only a person can take on. Cite the tool as software where your style guide asks you to.
- 4
Verify every reference and fact. AI tools can invent citations. Zayed University’s library shows an example of fabricated ones. Open every source you cite, and never cite AI as the source of a fact. ICMJE calls referencing AI-generated material as the primary source “not acceptable”.
- 5
Ask before using AI on data or translation. Do not upload participant data, interview transcripts or unpublished results to an AI tool unless your ethics approval allows it. BUiD, Qatar University and UAEU all set rules on personal or sensitive data. Translating someone else’s work without acknowledgement is listed as misuse at BUiD, and APA advises having a human check any translation your work relies on.
What happens if an AI report flags your work
An AI-writing indicator is a prompt for a conversation, not a finding. The AUS policy, for example, says the output of detection tools “cannot provide a definitive judgement” on whether a violation took place. How Turnitin’s AI indicator works, and what UAE universities publish about similarity, is covered in our guide to Turnitin similarity and AI reports in the UAE. To go through a report you have already received, use the Turnitin report interpreter.
- Do not rewrite in a panic, and never run your text through a “humaniser” or paraphrasing tool. BUiD lists using paraphrasing tools to pass off AI-generated content as your own as misuse.
- Gather your evidence: drafts, version history, notes, your disclosure statement and any written permission.
- Ask for a meeting with your supervisor, and be ready to explain your argument, sources and choices.
- Follow your university’s integrity or appeal procedure and its deadlines, as set out in your student handbook or catalog.
Preparing for that conversation? Talk it through with us: we can explain your report and what your university publishes, and say honestly whether editing your own draft would help. We never rewrite text to change a detector score.
Questions students ask about AI in theses
Can I use ChatGPT to write my thesis in the UAE or GCC?
No published policy we found allows you to submit AI-written text as your own work. Qatar University tells users to refrain from relying on generative AI to write theses, and BUiD prohibits producing whole dissertations or theses with AI unless explicitly allowed. Limited uses, such as brainstorming or checking language, may be permitted. Ask your supervisor what applies to you.
Do I need to disclose Grammarly or other language tools?
Check your university’s rules. UAEU permits grammar tools such as Grammarly but warns that substantive content changes may be misconduct. BUiD gives Grammarly AI proofreading as an example of use to disclose. If in doubt, disclose it: a one-line statement costs you nothing.
Where does the AI statement go in a thesis?
Follow your university’s template first. BUiD accepts the methods section, the acknowledgements or a dedicated AI Use Statement. APA suggests naming the tool in the Method section, and an author note or appendix can hold more detail, such as prompts.
Can I list ChatGPT as a co-author or cite it as a source?
You cannot list it as an author. COPE, ICMJE, BUiD and APA all say AI cannot be an author. You can cite the tool as software in your reference list, but never as the source of a fact. Find and cite the original source instead.
My university has no public AI policy. What should I do?
Ask your supervisor or library which rules apply to your programme, and keep the answer in writing. Disclose any AI use in your thesis anyway, keep your drafts and prompts, and verify every reference yourself.
How this guide was checked
University rules come only from each university’s own documents, linked in the table and opened on 29 September 2026. Where we could not find a published document, the table says so. Publishing guidance comes from the ICMJE Recommendations, Use of AI by Authors (updated January 2026), COPE’s position statement on authorship and AI tools (13 February 2023), and APA Style’s Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1, Reference formats (9 September 2025). Policies change often, so check your university’s current version before you submit.
Labeeb can review the citations and referencing in your own draft, and help you word an accurate disclosure of the AI use you have already made. We never write work for submission, “humanise” text, or try to lower an AI or similarity score.
Unsure whether your planned AI use needs disclosure? Chat with Labeeb.