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The number of students from the Middle East coming to UK universities more than doubled between 2003-04 and 2012-13. As traffic from all other regions also rose, the total number of non-European Union students in the UK grew by 59 per cent, says a recent Universities UK report.

Other regions to register large rises in traffic to the UK in the period included non-EU Europe, up 77 per cent, and Asia, up 63 per cent, according to .

Although numbers from the Middle East soared by 124 per cent over the nine years, the region still supplied less than 10 per cent of all non-EU students to UK institutions in 2012-13.

South America and Australasia had the least growth in traffic to the UK, up just 21 and 22 per cent respectively. Combined, the areas accounted for only 2 per cent of all non-EU students in 2012-13, says the report, released on 15 December.

Asia remained the biggest provider of foreign students to UK universities: 62 per cent of all international students originated there.

holly.else@tesglobal.com