Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, a UAE businessman, has confirmed that three of the 100 female students from Afghanistan to whom he provided scholarships to study at the University of Dubai arrived in Dubai on Thursday.
In a post on X, Al Habtoor expressed, “I welcomed them in the safest country in the world. I am entirely in charge of ensuring their comfort, safety, studies, housing, transportation, and health insurance.”
He expressed hope to welcome the rest of the students in Dubai soon.
On Wednesday, around 100 female students were prevented by the Taliban from boarding a plane bound for UAE, where they intended to pursue higher education at the University of Dubai.
The Taliban decision has led to widespread condemnation, with Al Habtoor, who sponsored the scholarships, taking to social media to denounce the decision as “unjustified” and a “profound tragedy and a blow against the principles of humanity, education, equality, and justice.”
He called on the Taliban and all involved parties to “quickly step in and help rescue and assist these struggling students.”
Amnesty International also criticized the Taliban’s decision, deeming it a “flagrant violation of the right to education and freedom of movement.”
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, the Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, called the Taliban ban on women’s education “un-Islamic” and “deliberate to keep the people in darkness and ignorance.”
