The siblings came from Dubai in 2018 to study after discovering out about the university at a recruitment event.

With the same choice of university, the siblings opted for different courses. Osama opted for law, Ayah for interior architecture, Abdelrahim for accounting and finance and Ahmad for business and management.

Their strong family bond helped them adjust to life at university.

“Given the fact that the four of us were together, I found it easy to adapt,” Ahmad said.

“As a family-oriented person, my exposure to a new culture made me homesick”, said Osama as it was hard for him. “But the inclusiveness of the university and support of staff and our peers definitely made the transition more swift.”

Ayah had a challenging time, too, as illness took its toll and she was admitted to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital for a month in February 2019.

“The amount of support and care I received from the school of architecture was phenomenal,” she said.

However, all four siblings completed their degrees in Dubai during the pandemic, via online learning, and attended virtual graduation.