OXFORD University has denied any link between a research centre which the Dubai Government claims it was backing.

The Government of Dubai claimed last month that the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Future Research at Oxford University had opened with the university's backing.

It had been visited by His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, its government's minister of cabinet affairs and the future, and by His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, its minister for artificial intelligence and member of the board of trustees for the Dubai Future Foundation.

The Government also said some representatives from Oxford University had attended.

But the university said the links had not been formalised.

An Oxford University spokeswoman said: "This is unfortunately a case of crossed wires in communicating what was a very preliminary set of discussions. We hope the [government's] news release will be taken down as soon as possible."

A number of British universities have a presence in Dubai.

Coventry University has an Emirates Aviation University in Dubai's Academic City.

The university has delivered programmes in aviation and other subjects.

The University of Birmingham will also open the University of Birmingham Dubai from September. It will be the first British Russell Group university to do. That base will also be in the Dubai International Academic City.