Academic Writing in the UAE — What Your Lecturers Wish You Already Knew

Here’s a conversation I’ve had more times than I can count. A student comes to me with feedback on their assignment. The feedback says something like “needs more critical analysis” or “argument not sufficiently developed” or the classic “too descriptive.” The student reads this, looks at me, and says: “I don’t understand what they want.”

And honestly? I get their frustration. Academic writing has its own language, its own rules, and its own expectations that nobody explicitly teaches you. In the UAE, this is even more complicated because many students are writing in their second or third language, following British academic conventions, while working full-time.

The Biggest Mistake: Description vs Analysis

This is the thing. This is the one issue that accounts for more lost marks than anything else.

Description is telling your reader WHAT something is. “Porter’s Five Forces framework analyses the competitive environment by examining five key factors.” That’s description. It’s accurate. It’s also worth almost nothing because your lecturer already knows what Porter’s Five Forces is.

Analysis is telling your reader WHAT IT MEANS in a specific context, and WHY it matters. “Applying Porter’s Five Forces to Dubai’s retail sector reveals that the threat of new entrants is moderate — while free zone regulations lower barriers to entry, the dominance of established players like Majid Al Futtaim creates significant competitive pressure.”

See the difference? The second version takes a framework and DOES something with it. That’s what your marker is looking for.

How to Structure an Argument

Every academic assignment is fundamentally an argument. A good argument has three parts:

Claim: The point you’re making. “Remote working has improved productivity in UAE organisations post-COVID.”

Evidence: The data or research supporting your claim. “A survey by PwC Middle East (2023) found that 67% of UAE-based companies reported maintained or increased productivity.”

Evaluation: Your analysis of what the evidence means. “However, this improvement varied significantly by sector, suggesting productivity gains are contingent on the nature of work rather than remote working itself.”

Every paragraph should follow some version of this pattern: Claim, Evidence, Evaluation.

Writing in English as a Second Language

The trap is trying to sound “academic” by using the most complex language possible. Long sentences. Big words. Passive voice everywhere. The result reads like someone fed a textbook through a thesaurus.

Good academic writing is not about sounding clever. It’s about being clear and precise.

• Keep sentences to 15–25 words where possible
• Use active voice most of the time: “The study examined” not “The examination was undertaken”
• Define technical terms the first time you use them
• Read your work aloud — if you stumble, your reader will too
• Avoid filler: “it is important to note that,” “in today’s modern world”

Paragraph Structure That Actually Works

Use the PEEL method:

• P — Point: What is this paragraph about? State it in the first sentence.
• E — Evidence: What source or data supports this point?
• E — Explanation: How does the evidence support your point?
• L — Link: How does this connect to your overall argument?

One paragraph, one point. If your paragraph runs past half a page, you’re probably trying to fit too much in.

Common Writing Mistakes in UAE Student Assignments

• Starting with dictionary definitions. “According to the Oxford Dictionary, leadership is defined as...” Your marker has read this opening hundreds of times. Use an academic definition instead.
• Using “I” when guidelines say not to. Most assignments use third person. Check your programme’s guidelines. (Reflective assignments are different.)
• Not connecting paragraphs. Use linking phrases: “Building on this,” “In contrast,” “However, the evidence suggests.”
• Finishing with “in conclusion, this essay has discussed...” Your conclusion should synthesise, not summarise.
• Overdependence on one source. If three consecutive paragraphs cite the same author, your research isn’t wide enough.

Using AI Tools Responsibly

Let’s address this directly. AI tools are useful for brainstorming, understanding concepts, and checking grammar. They should NOT be used for writing your assignment, generating analysis, or creating references (AI regularly fabricates citations).

Most UAE universities now use AI detection tools alongside Turnitin. AI-generated writing has a distinctive style — it’s smooth, vaguely impressive, and lacks specific depth. Your lecturers know the difference.

Academic writing is a skill, not a talent. Nobody is born knowing how to write a literature review. It’s learned through practice, feedback, and sometimes a bit of outside help. ScribeGulf works with UAE students at every level to improve their academic writing — not by writing for them, but by teaching them what good academic writing looks like.