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Latifa College was established in October 2003 under the patronage of HH Sheikha Alia Bint Khalifa Al Maktoum, providing a unique experience in art and design education for graduates of Latifa School for Girls. The students followed an intensive one-year, full-time programme in art and design, intended to provide a solid platform of creative abilities upon which to build through undergraduate studies, as well as developing relevant skills, designed to facilitate the transition from school to university.

In September 2004, Latifa College became a satellite campus of Zayed University, with experienced faculty from the university delivering courses from the Colloquy on Integrated Learning and the Department of Art and Design to the eleven students in the well-equipped studio facilities of the college in Nad Al Shiba. Working in this dedicated creative environment, the students were able to gain experience in the fields of Visual Arts, Graphic Design and Interior Design, before selecting specialist areas of study at undergraduate level.

The students were fortunate enough to have three overseas study visits sponsored as an integral part of their studies. These trips, to Florence in Italy, Barcelona and Madrid, in Spain and London, England, provided opportunities to view a wide range of Western art – from the works of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance to contemporary digital animation artists. In addition, the students were able to visit comparable universities and schools of art and design in Madrid and London and to see the work of their peers.

Between September 2004 and June 2007, the students completed the necessary core curriculum and specialist art and design courses required for graduation with a BA Art and Design from Zayed University. Of the eleven students graduating from Latifa College, seven students followed a concentration in Graphic Design, three Interior Design and one student Visual Arts.

Throughout the four years of study the students accepted commissions to produce works for public art projects, including painted sculptures for each stage of the Desert Trilogy: the Camel Caravan, the Celebration of the Arabian Horse and the Flight of the Falcons, and newspaper sculptures for the Arab Journalism Awards. The students were also active in exhibiting their work, showing both at Latifa College campus and in public venues, including Knowledge Village, Mercato Mall and The Third Line, one of Dubai ’s most eminent contemporary art galleries.