Dubai Expected To Add Nearly 18,000 Affordable Seats In Schools Over Next 2 Years

Dubai's private schools have recorded a 4.6 per cent rise in enrolment at the start of the new academic year, with 406,563 students now studying in the emirate's private schools, up from approximately 388,731 in June 2026.

The increase comes as Dubai continues to expand its private education landscape, with 26 new private educational institutions opening this academic year, including seven schools, 17 early childhood centres (ECCs) and two international higher education institutions.

The seven new schools have added nearly 17,000 seats, while the new ECCs are expected to add more than 1,700 places to the sector. The expansion is set to continue, with approximately 18,000 affordable seats expected to be added over the next two academic years, as the emirate responds to sustained demand from families choosing Dubai as a place to live and educate their children.

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Speaking at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) Media Majlis on Thursday, Aisha Miran, Director General of KHDA, said the growth forms part of Dubai's longer-term education ambitions under the Education 33 Strategy.

“Dubai's Education 33 Strategy is the compass that guides our work and sets out where we want Dubai's education ecosystem to be by 2033. Two years since its adoption, we have made important progress, but our ambition extends further.

“We want its impact to reach every student, family, teacher, and educational institution in Dubai.”

Miran said the strategy is aimed at building an education ecosystem that responds to the changing needs of students while supporting Dubai's wider ambitions.

“Every initiative we launch, policy we develop and partnership we build contributes to an education ecosystem that responds to the needs of learners, develops their skills, strengthens their identity and expands opportunities, while supporting Dubai's global competitiveness.”

Over the past two academic years, 51 new private educational institutions have opened in Dubai, adding capacity across early childhood, schools and higher education.

The expansion comes alongside strong international performance. Dubai's private schools ranked among the world's top 10 education systems across all PISA 2025 assessment domains.

The performance of Emirati students also improved, with their scores increasing by 31 points in mathematics, 30 points in science and 18 points in reading, reflecting progress in student outcomes.

For the 2026-27 academic year, KHDA has identified several priorities, including improving the performance of schools with high concentrations of Emirati students, strengthening cultural identity and Arabic language education, enhancing student wellbeing and protection, empowering parents and expanding access to affordable education.

The authority will also focus on developing Emirati talent across the education ecosystem while strengthening AI literacy, financial literacy, future skills and career readiness.

The new academic year will also see the formation of the second Dubai Students Council, alongside the launch of the first Dubai Parents Council and first Dubai Educators Council.

The councils are intended to give students, parents and educators a direct platform to contribute to the development of Dubai's education sector and help shape the learner journey.

Parent engagement has also become a focus under Education 33. Since the strategy was adopted, KHDA has organised more than 20 parent awareness sessions, reaching more than 5,000 parents on issues including positive parenting, family resilience, digital safety and supporting children during periods of stress.

Miran also highlighted the role of the media in helping families understand changes across the education sector.

“The Media Majlis reflects our commitment to maintaining an open and continuous dialogue with the media and sharing our progress, priorities and next steps clearly.”

Beyond schools, Dubai is continuing to expand its higher education offering. Eleven new higher education institutions have opened over the past three years, accompanied by a 29 per cent increase in enrolment.

Two globally recognised universities are also expanding their presence in Dubai this academic year. The American University of Beirut's Dubai campus opened in September 2026, while Peking University HSBC Business School is set to launch its MBA and EMBA programmes in January 2027.

The broader private education landscape - spanning early childhood education, schools and higher education - has recorded annual growth of 4.6 per cent over the past three academic years.

Under the City of Students game-changer initiative, KHDA will continue efforts to attract international students, talent and global institutions, while supporting research, innovation and knowledge creation across the emirate.

Since the launch of Education 33 two years ago, KHDA has introduced more than 20 transformative game-changer initiatives and developed 28 policies, guidelines and regulatory frameworks covering areas including education quality assurance, future skills, Arabic language education, national identity, inclusion, teacher wellbeing, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The authority said its next phase will continue to focus on strengthening the quality, accessibility and sustainable growth of Dubai's private education sector, while placing learners, families and educators at the centre of the education journey.

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