The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme funds graduate study at Oxford for professionals and graduates, mainly from developing and emerging economies, who plan to improve public life at home. It is part of the Oxford Graduate Scholarships: the University pays 40% and the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust’s donors 60%.
What it covers: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs, for the full period you pay fees on the agreed course. Scholars also join a year-long leadership programme with long-term mentoring.
Who can apply: what counts is your country of ordinary residence, not your passport. Oxford lists 19 Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are not on it. You must apply to one of 40 eligible courses, among them the MPP, MSc Economics for Development, MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy, MSc Modern Middle Eastern Studies, MSt Islamic Studies and History, MSc Advanced Computer Science and the BCL. You should intend to return home after the course. Deferred 2027-28 offers and current Oxford students are excluded.
When to apply: there is no separate deadline. You apply by your course’s December or January deadline, at 12:00 midday UK time: 15:00 in Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait and Manama, 14:00 in Cairo and 16:00 in the UAE and Oman. The course pages we checked show dates from 1 December 2026 to 27 January 2027. Only offers from that round count; applications moved to March or wait-listed are not considered.
What to prepare:
1. The Oxford graduate application for an eligible course, with the scholarship selected in the University of Oxford Scholarships section.
2. The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement 2027/28, uploaded with the application.
3. A clear account of how the course leads to work that improves public life in your country or region.
Timeline: course deadlines December 2026 to January 2027; online interviews, likely in April 2027; decisions by the end of May 2027. Oxford does not contact unsuccessful applicants.
Practical notes for applicants from our region: because eligibility follows ordinary residence, Gulf nationals resident in Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman are eligible; residence in Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the UAE is not, even for nationals of eligible countries. The statement asks you to connect your subject with public life, so plan that argument before you write the course personal statement.