Online MBAs have traditionally had limited appeal to applicants looking to nurture a professional network, which is more easily achieved in person. But online networking has come of age in the COVID-19 pandemic, which showed how it is possible to build contacts from a distance. It has also forced institutions to invest in improving digital communications.

The best Online MBAs in Asia Pacific are ranked highly by a bevy of leading agencies such as the Financial Times and the Economist, and are also accredited by top bodies like AACSB or EQUIS.

Over the past several years business schools from across the world have flocked to the Middle East to establish a physical presence and offer online education. The moves reflect the demand for management expertise among the local populous, amid a period of economic diversification, especially in the oil-dependent Gulf states.