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ABSTRACT

This study examines how leadership capacity drives digital transformation in higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), guided by the Advance HE (2025) framework for leading in higher education (HE). Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design supplemented by structured multiple-response items, the authors surveyed 283 academic staff and leaders and analyzed the data with partial least squares-structural equation modelling. Leadership knowledge and digital literacy, leadership values and mindsets, and institutional digital strategies and support significantly predicted faculty willingness to adopt technology. Faculty willingness mediated the association between leadership capacity and digital curriculum transformation, which in turn related to stronger student engagement and learning outcomes. Structured section 8 responses highlighted workload pressures, infrastructure constraints, and data-privacy concerns, as well as the importance of vision-led leadership and sustained institutional support. The findings suggest that sustainable digital transformation depends less on technology availability alone than on coherent leadership, faculty readiness, and curriculum-centered reform. The study offers practical implications for aligning governance, professional development, and policy in UAE HE.

Keywords: digital transformation, leadership, faculty willingness, curriculum innovation, advance HE framework, UAE