Attestation is where most graduates lose time, because the single most common assumption about it is wrong. An FCDO apostille on its own does not make a UK certificate usable in the UAE. Here is the actual chain, in the order it has to happen.
The Hague Apostille Convention lets member states accept each other documents with a single apostille certificate. The UAE is not a member of that convention.
That single fact drives everything else: a UK document destined for the UAE goes through consular legalisation, which is a longer chain than the apostille many people expect to be sufficient.
A degree certificate is treated as a private document, so before anything else it must be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public. Skipping this stage is the usual reason a submission is returned at the next one.
The certified document then goes to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which attaches the apostille. This is the step most people know about, and it is the middle of the process rather than the end.
The apostilled document is submitted to the UAE Embassy in London, which verifies the apostille is genuine by checking its number and security markings, then applies its own consular stamp.
The final step happens inside the UAE, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs completes the legalisation. Only after this is the document fully legalised for use in the country.
Attestation and recognition are different things and are often confused. Attestation legalises the physical document. Recognition is the Ministry of Higher Education assessing the qualification itself, which requires verification through DataFlow or QuadraBay.
You are likely to need both. Neither one substitutes for the other, and both take time, so start them earlier than feels necessary.
This page is general guidance. It does not replace checking with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and it is not a guarantee of the outcome of any recognition application. Conditions change, so confirm with the official source before deciding.