The best student discounts in the UAE can save a student several thousand dirhams a year, but only a handful do the heavy lifting. The Dubai student nol card halves your Metro, bus and tram fares. Abu Dhabi’s AED 500 Hafilat student permit covers a full year of buses. Free software licences (Autodesk, GitHub, JetBrains, Notion) and education pricing on Apple, Samsung and Adobe cover most of the rest. Below are the 20 discounts actually worth using, ranked by estimated annual saving, each with the exact steps to redeem it.
The top 20 student discounts in the UAE, ranked by annual saving
Savings are our estimates for a student who actually uses the product or service. They compare the student price with what you would otherwise pay. One-off purchases (laptops, phones) are counted in the year you buy.
| # | Discount | What you get | Est. annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai student nol card | 50% off Metro, bus and tram | AED 1,500 to 2,500 |
| 2 | Abu Dhabi Hafilat student permit | A year of unlimited buses for AED 500 | AED 700 to 1,500 |
| 3 | Autodesk Education | Free AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion and more | AED 5,000+ (engineering and design students) |
| 4 | Adobe Creative Cloud Student | Around 70% off all Adobe apps in year one | About AED 2,000 |
| 5 | GitHub Student Developer Pack | Free developer tools and cloud credits | AED 1,000+ |
| 6 | Apple Education Store + Back to School | Education pricing plus an AED 360 to 540 gift card | AED 700 to 1,300 (one-off) |
| 7 | Samsung Education Store | Up to 30% off phones, tablets, wearables, laptops, monitors | AED 300 to 1,500 (one-off) |
| 8 | Emirates Student Fares | Up to 10% off Economy + 10 kg extra baggage | AED 500 to 1,000 |
| 9 | Qatar Airways Student Club | 10% to 20% off fares + extra baggage | AED 400 to 1,000 |
| 10 | JetBrains Student Pack | Free licences for all JetBrains IDEs | About AED 1,000 |
| 11 | Apple Creator Studio Student | AED 9.99/month instead of AED 49.99 | AED 480 |
| 12 | Notion Education | Free upgraded education plan | About AED 400 |
| 13 | Microsoft 365 Education | Free Office apps through your university | AED 300 to 350 |
| 14 | Spotify Premium Student | AED 12.99/month, about half price | AED 100 to 170 |
| 15 | YouTube Premium Student | AED 13.99/month via ISIC | About AED 120 |
| 16 | Apple Music Student | Discounted student plan, includes Apple TV | About AED 100+ |
| 17 | AppleCare+ Education | Up to 10% off device cover | AED 50 to 150 |
| 18 | Booking.com via ISIC | Up to 15% off stays with Genius | AED 100 to 400 |
| 19 | Retail brands via ISIC | 15% to 30% at H&M, SHEIN, Sun & Sand Sports, Under Armour | AED 100 to 300 |
| 20 | TOEFL and courses via ISIC | 5% off TOEFL iBT, 20% off course fees | AED 50 to 500 |
Transport discounts
Dubai student nol card: 50% off RTA public transport
The student nol card cuts Metro, bus and tram fares in Dubai by 50%. It does not cover intercity buses. It is open to students aged 5 to 23 enrolled at a UAE school, college or university. It costs AED 70 (AED 50 fee plus AED 20 credit).
Estimated saving: AED 1,500 to AED 2,500 a year for a daily commuter.
How to redeem:
- Download the nol Pay app or S’hail app, or go to nol.rta.ae.
- Choose the student nol card and enter your Emirates ID details.
- Upload a recent photo. If your school or university is registered with KHDA, your enrolment is checked automatically. Otherwise, upload an enrolment letter for the current academic year or your student ID.
- Pay AED 70. The card is delivered in 2 working days (KHDA-registered) or 4 working days (others).
- Renew the 50% concession every year. The card itself is valid for 5 years.
nol ISIC Card: during the application you can choose the nol ISIC version. It adds the International Student Identity Card to the same card, giving you the 50% transport discount plus ISIC student offers in the UAE and 130+ countries. RTA lists the nol ISIC option at AED 95. Full walkthrough: Nol Student Card Dubai: how to apply.
Abu Dhabi Hafilat student permit: a year of buses for AED 500
The annual Hafilat student permit gives unlimited bus travel across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and Al Dhafra for AED 500. Intercity routes are excluded. At two trips a day, five days a week, it pays for itself within the first semester.
Estimated saving: AED 700 to AED 1,500 a year.
How to redeem:
- Get a Hafilat personalised card linked to your Emirates ID.
- Buy the student permit at a ticket vending machine at a bus station or mall, or at an ITC Customer Happiness Centre.
- Keep proof of enrolment with you in case you are asked for it.
Students in other emirates: Ajman’s Masaar student card gives 30% off buses, and Ras Al Khaimah’s Silver card gives 50% off internal bus fares.
Travel and flight discounts
Emirates Student Fares: up to 10% off Economy plus extra baggage
Full-time students aged 16 to 31 get up to 10% off Economy, up to 5% off Premium Economy and Business, an extra 10 kg (or one extra piece) of baggage, and a free date change on flexible fares.
Estimated saving: AED 500 to AED 1,000 a year for two return trips home.
How to redeem:
- Join Emirates Skywards (free) and log in.
- Book on emirates.com using the promo code STUDENT.
- Show your student ID or university acceptance letter at check-in.
More detail in our Emirates student discount guide. Etihad runs a similar scheme: see the Etihad student offer.
Qatar Airways Student Club: 10% to 20% off fares
Students aged 18 to 30 get rising discounts on base fares: 10%, then 15%, then 20%, across four bookings. Members also get extra baggage (one piece or 10 kg, depending on route) and free date changes on selected fares.
Estimated saving: AED 400 to AED 1,000 a year.
How to redeem:
- Create a Privilege Club account on qatarairways.com.
- Enrol in Student Club with your expected graduation date and upload your student ID or acceptance letter.
- Use the promo code emailed to you at checkout on qatarairways.com.
Booking.com via ISIC: up to 15% off stays
ISIC holders get up to 15% off selected stays when combined with Booking.com Genius. How to redeem: open the offer in the ISIC (Alive) app or on mystudentcard.org and book through that link.
Laptops, tablets and phones
Apple Education Store and Back to School offer
University students get education pricing on Mac and iPad. Until 22 October 2026, Apple’s UAE Back to School offer adds an Apple Gift Card: AED 360 with iPad Air, iPad Pro or MacBook Air, and AED 540 with MacBook Pro. One gift card per product category.
Estimated saving: AED 700 to AED 1,300 on a laptop or tablet.
How to redeem:
- Shop through the Apple Education Store for the UAE (apple.com/ae-edu/store), an Apple Store, or by calling 8000 444 0396.
- Confirm you are a student at, or accepted into, a UAE university. Apple may ask for verification.
- The gift card is applied with the eligible purchase. Parents can also buy for a university student.
Full detail: Apple student discount in the UAE.
AppleCare+ Education: up to 10% off
Eligible students get up to 10% off AppleCare+. How to redeem: add AppleCare+ when you buy through the Education Store.
Samsung Education Store: up to 30% off
Samsung’s UAE Education Discount Program gives full-time and part-time students up to 30% off. It covers Galaxy phones, tablets, wearables (Galaxy Watch and Buds), laptops, monitors and accessories. Limits apply: up to 5 products per category, delivery in the UAE only.
Estimated saving: AED 300 to AED 1,500 depending on what you buy.
How to redeem:
- Go to Samsung’s UAE student offers page (samsung.com/ae/offer/student-discounts) and sign in with a Samsung account.
- Enter your university email address and type in the one-time code you receive.
- Shop the student store. Prices shown already include the discount.
Software and study tools
Autodesk Education: free professional software
Students get free one-year educational access to Autodesk software such as AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion, Maya and 3ds Max. For engineering, architecture and design students this is the single largest saving on this list.
How to redeem: create an account at autodesk.com/education, confirm your enrolment with a document from your university, then download the software. Renew each year while you are studying.
Adobe Creative Cloud Student: around 70% off
Adobe’s student plan gives all Creative Cloud apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and more) at around 70% off in the first year, rising after that. Essential for design, media and architecture students.
How to redeem: buy the Students and Teachers plan on adobe.com. Verify with your university email or upload proof of enrolment for the current year.
GitHub Student Developer Pack: free developer tools
Verified students get GitHub Pro, GitHub Copilot, cloud credits and dozens of paid developer tools for free.
How to redeem: apply at education.github.com with your university email and a photo of your student ID or enrolment letter.
JetBrains Student Pack: free IDE licences
Students get free licences for IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate, PyCharm, WebStorm and other JetBrains tools. How to redeem: apply at jetbrains.com/student with your university email, then renew yearly.
Apple Creator Studio Student: AED 9.99 a month
Apple Creator Studio bundles Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion and more. Students and educators pay AED 9.99 a month (or AED 99 a year) instead of AED 49.99, after a 1-month free trial. How to redeem: subscribe via Apple’s student offer and complete the student verification. The student plan cannot be shared through Family Sharing.
Notion Education: free education plan
University students get Notion’s Education plan for free: unlimited pages and file uploads, 30-day page history and site publishing.
How to redeem: sign in to Notion with your university email (it must be your main login), go to Settings, then Upgrade plan, then “Get free education plan”. Re-verify once a year.
Microsoft 365 Education
Most UAE universities give enrolled students free Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive. How to redeem: sign in at microsoft365.com with your university account. If it does not work, ask your university IT team before paying for an Office subscription.
Music and streaming
Spotify Premium Student: AED 12.99 a month
Spotify Premium Student costs AED 12.99 a month after a 1-month free trial, for up to 4 years. You must be 18+ and at an accredited college or university.
How to redeem: go to spotify.com/ae-en/student, sign up, and verify your enrolment through SheerID. Re-verify every 12 months.
YouTube Premium Student: AED 13.99 a month
ISIC holders can get YouTube Premium for AED 13.99 a month instead of the standard price, with a 1-month free trial. How to redeem: verify your ISIC card on mystudentcard.org to get a code, then apply it on YouTube’s student plan page.
Apple Music Student
Apple Music’s student plan is discounted and includes Apple TV at no extra cost. How to redeem: in the Apple Music app, choose the Student plan and verify through UNiDAYS. Re-verify each year.
ISIC partner offers: retail, exams and courses
These offers need an ISIC card or the nol ISIC card. Check the ISIC (Alive) app for the current code before you shop, as partners change.
H&M, SHEIN, Sun & Sand Sports and Under Armour
RTA lists 15% to 30% off at retail partners including H&M, SHEIN, Sun & Sand Sports and Under Armour. How to redeem: show your digital ISIC card in store, or copy the online code from the ISIC app at checkout.
TOEFL iBT and course fees
RTA currently advertises 5% off the TOEFL iBT test and 20% off course fees with education partners. How to redeem: get the voucher code from the ISIC app and enter it when you book the test or course.
Also listed for ISIC holders: SoundCloud and Anghami offers. Terms are not published openly, so check the ISIC app for the current deal.
Student discount cards and apps
These do not save money on their own. They unlock the offers above and smaller local deals.
- ISIC UAE: AED 120 a year for a digital card in the Alive app, with 150,000+ benefits in 130+ countries. Apply at mystudentcard.org with a photo, ID and proof of enrolment.
- nol ISIC card: the Dubai student nol card with ISIC built in. The best option for Dubai students aged 23 or under.
- UNiDAYS UAE: free. Sign up at myunidays.com with your university email. Mostly international online brands, and needed for Apple Music Student.
- Student Beans UAE: free. Sign up with your university email. Mostly international online brands.
- SmartPocket: free UAE student app with 20+ local brands across food, fashion, electronics and subscriptions. Verify with your university email or Emirates ID.
- Nafaa: UAE student discount app. Verify your student ID once, then show the in-app QR code at partner outlets. Check whether a subscription fee applies before you sign up.
- Fazaa Student Card: student version of the Fazaa discount programme. Check eligibility and price on fazaa.ae before applying.
Gyms, cinemas and culture
Student offers here change often and are usually claimed at the counter. Always ask before you pay full price.
- Fitness First: up to 10% off 4-month and 6-month memberships. Show your student ID at the club. The online sign-up form was closed when we checked, so ask in person.
- GymNation: already one of the cheapest gyms in the UAE. Ask your nearest club about current student rates.
- FitnGlam (ladies only): has a special student rate. Contact your preferred branch with your student ID.
- VOX Cinemas: runs student ticket offers in the region. Check the VOX app for a current UAE student offer and bring your student ID.
- Roxy Cinemas: runs back-to-school student deals, such as AED 59 Roxy Silver tickets with unlimited popcorn from Monday to Thursday. Check the Roxy app.
- Dubai Opera: has offered discounted student tickets on selected performances, such as AED 35 dress-rehearsal tickets. Check each show’s page before booking.
- Dubai public libraries: basic Mohammed bin Rashid Library membership is free, and the borrowing membership costs AED 25 a year for students instead of AED 50. Apply on mbrl.ae or the MBRL app with your Emirates ID.
Discounts your university negotiates
Many UAE universities negotiate their own deals. These are often better than public offers, but they differ by campus. Check your student services portal or ask in your first week for:
- Gym memberships: discounted rates at nearby gyms, on top of free on-campus facilities.
- Medical centres: reduced consultation fees at partner clinics.
- Hotels: discounted rates for visiting family.
- Restaurants and cafes: student pricing near campus.
Offers we checked that don’t work in the UAE
- Canva for Education: only for schools (K-12). University students are not eligible. Use Canva for Campus only if your university provides it.
- Amazon Prime Student: there is no student plan on Amazon.ae. Standard Prime costs AED 16 a month.
- Anghami student plan: 50% off Anghami Plus, but you verify with a “.edu” email. Most UAE university emails end in “.ac.ae”, so check the ISIC offer instead.
Food and coffee
There are few confirmed student-only food discounts in the UAE. These work for everyone, students included:
- Coffee loyalty apps: Starbucks Rewards and Tims Rewards give a free birthday treat and points on every purchase. Some branches give student pricing, so ask at the counter.
- The Entertainer: buy-one-get-one-free dining. Worth it if you eat out with friends regularly.
- Talabat and Noon Food: check the offers tab before ordering, especially in August to September and January to February.
- Student discount apps: SmartPocket and Nafaa list local food partners.
The ISIC card: worth it?
Yes, if you will use at least two ISIC offers a year. YouTube Premium Student alone saves about AED 120 a year, which covers the AED 120 card. Booking.com, retail and TOEFL discounts are extra.
If you live in Dubai and are 23 or under, pick the nol ISIC option on your student nol card instead of buying ISIC separately. If you are 24 or older, or study outside Dubai, buy the standalone digital ISIC at mystudentcard.org. More detail: 7 good reasons to get an ISIC card in the UAE.
Register everything in one session: 30-minute checklist
Set up the discounts you will use in one sitting during your first week. In order of saving:
| Action | Time | Est. annual saving |
|---|---|---|
| Apply for the student nol card (nol ISIC option) in nol Pay | 10 min | AED 1,500 to 2,500 |
| Buy the Hafilat student permit (Abu Dhabi only) | 10 min | AED 700 to 1,500 |
| Apply for Autodesk, GitHub and JetBrains (if your course uses them) | 10 min | AED 1,000 to 5,000+ |
| Join Emirates Skywards and Qatar Airways Student Club | 5 min | AED 400 to 1,000 |
| Unlock Samsung student store with your university email | 3 min | AED 300 to 1,500 (when you buy) |
| Sign in to Microsoft 365 and Notion with your university email | 3 min | AED 700 |
| Switch Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music to student plans | 5 min | AED 200 to 400 |
| Verify UNiDAYS, Student Beans and SmartPocket | 5 min | Varies |
Student discounts are one part of managing money as a student in the UAE. The student budget UAE 2026 guide shows how to build a monthly budget from AED 2,000 to AED 5,000, and the UAE Student Guide covers visas, banking and accommodation.
