Commission for Academic Accreditation

The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is the government-run institutional licensure and degree accreditation organization for private universities and their academic programmes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was established in 1999, with headquarters in UAE's capital city Abu Dhabi, and is a department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The CAA is a member of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE)

The CAA has a number of commissioners led by its director, Dr Badr Aboul-Ela, a founder member of the organization. Institutions must follow standards set by the CAA. There are specific standards for e-learning and, since 2009, for vocational education and technical training. Licensure and accreditation are achieved through submission of supporting documentation and site visits by a commissioner and a visiting committee of experienced academics with appropriate expertise.

All non-federal higher education institutions operating outside a free-zone in the UAE must have a license to operate and their academic programmes must be accredited before students may be admitted. Many institutions operating within a free-zone nevertheless submit themselves to the CAA for license and accreditation. More recently, degree programmes at federal (government-run) institutions are also being accredited.