Abu Dhabi Targets 2,000 Emirati Teachers In Private Schools Within Five Years

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has launched an Emiratisation policy for the private education sector, targeting the placement of more than 2,000 UAE nationals in teaching roles across the emirate over the next five years.

The policy was developed in coordination with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis). It introduces emirate-level Emiratisation targets specifically for teaching positions in Abu Dhabi private schools, complementing existing federal requirements.

Five private education operators have signed strategic partnerships with Adek as part of the initiative. Taalee has committed to recruiting more than 200 Emirati educators, SABIS more than 150, Gems Education more than 120, International Community Schools more than 77, and Liwa Education more than 61.

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The drive will initially focus on Social Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies roles, with recruitment progressing gradually over the five-year period.

Adek is offering several entry and development programmes for UAE nationals seeking to enter the profession. The Midad short-term programme, launched earlier in 2026, serves as an entry point for those exploring teaching careers, while Kon Moallim, launched in 2025, provides a sponsored postgraduate diploma in education. Both are designed and delivered in partnership with the Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE).

Nafis has also launched a Teachers Programme, delivered by ECAE in partnership with Adek, offering two pathways: Teacher and Teacher Assistant. Eligible participants in the Teacher pathway may receive a monthly financial incentive of up to Dh4,000 during the training period.

The policy is anchored in the Abu Dhabi Educators' Proficiency Framework, developed jointly by Adek and ECAE, which sets the professional values and standards expected of educators across the emirate.

UAE nationals joining through the Emirati Student Employment Contract programme may begin working with an employer from the start of their studies, receiving a monthly salary, pension registration and on-the-job training. Their participation counts toward the employer's Emiratisation targets.

The new policy expands on Adek's agreement with Aldar Education in May 2026, under which Aldar committed to creating more than 300 opportunities for Emirati educators across its operated schools.

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