United Arab Emirates – Education
This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Overview
UNESCO Student Mobility Number: 11,503. This is number of UAE students studying abroad. That’s the latest statistics from UNESCO (year 2017)[1].
CIA World Factbook – Percent of population under 24 years of age: 22 percent[2]. This indicates the percentage of population under 24 years of age residing in the UAE according to the CIA World Factbook.
0-14 years: 14.39 percent (male: 724,904 / female: 671,524)
15-24 years: 7.64 percent (male: 408,376 / female: 332,986)
The education system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is divided into public schools, private schools and higher education. The Ministry of Education (MoE) oversees all UAE-based education councils and authorities as per the following:
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) was established in 2005, it was formerly known as Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), and was primarily responsible for the management and administration of the Abu Dhabi’s public schools. It also acted as the regulatory body that provided licensing and accreditation to private schools in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Emirates setting the minimum standards that must be met in terms of educational outcomes, health, safety, building and site requirements. In September 2017, ADEK was made a government department according to a decree issued by President Sheikh Khalifa and was named the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). The MoE and ADEK announced a plan achieve the standardization of the UAE’s education systems to support a unified and highly-performing education sector across the UAE. The plan will unify the education sector through the development of the Emirati School Model across all emirates.
Knowledge and Human Development (KHDA) in Dubai was established in 2006, KHDA is responsible for inspecting all private schools in Dubai to ensure proper quality of education, from early learning to higher and continuing education.
Education remains a top government priority in the UAE. The UAE Vision 2021emphasizes the development of a first-rate education system. As such, this sector continues to experience rapid expansion. The UAE’s education market is expected to grow from $4.4 billion in 2017 to $7.1 billion by 2023 according to a 2018 report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) entitled “Where to Invest Now in GCC Private Education”. In line with Vision 2021, the UAE’s Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed the Education 2020 Strategy, which is designed to bring significant qualitative improvement in the education system. Smart learning programs, new teachers’ codes, licensing and evaluations systems, as well as curriculum revision, including teaching mathematics and science through English, are all part of the strategy.
In May 2019, the UAE Cabinet agreed upon the strategy for the Advances Skills National Program[3], a plan that is focused on Emirati students and professionals acquiring advanced skills that can help the UAE stay on top of the advanced skills worldwide competition and create an efficient and sustainable environment for the country’s development.
The UAE’s federal budget for 2018 allocated $2.8 billion for General, Higher and University Education Programs, which represents 20 percent of the total budget. Due to the transient nature of the expatriate population in the UAE, parents prefer to enroll their children in international schools. Hence, demand for private education has been on the rise, leading to strong overall growth in the education sector. In the UAE, private school enrollments are expected to increase from approximately 56 percent to 66 percent over the course of the next five years according to the BCG report.
According to the BCG report, there is currently an oversupply of international private schools with high and premium-range fees in Dubai, and not enough international private schools with low- and medium-range fees. In 2017, schools with high- and premium-range fees reportedly began to advertise, implement loyalty programs, and slash their fees by as much as 33 percent to attract and retain students. In December 2018, education authorities in Abu Dhabi announced that a total of ten new schools offering affordable fee structures are set to open in the emirate over the next three years adding that they will readily make plots and vacant public-school buildings available to investors for the development of new schools. According to education experts, the emirate of Sharjah is also in need for affordable schools with tuition fees ranging from $5,500 to $9,500.
Similar to K12 education, higher education enrollments in Dubai have been steadily increasing according to a 2018 report by Colliers International entitled “Higher Education in Dubai, UAE Coming of Age”. The supporting factors identified include: the growing population, the popularity of Dubai with students from neighboring emirates, and the variety of institutions available. There has also been a growing preference towards international higher education institutes amongst Emirati parents and professionals seeking to complete their higher education while working in the emirate. In higher education, only five foreign universities have full campuses in the UAE including two U.S. institutions: Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai and New York University Abu Dhabi.
There continues to be an ongoing influence of pioneer U.S. institutions. Recently Virginia International announced a partnership with the UAE Space Agency to open a center for training young student astronauts in Abu Dhabi, attracting the participation of over 50 students.
Sub-Sectors
In terms of mobility, the United Arab Emirates has 2,486 Emirati students studying in the United States for the academic year 2017-2018, a decrease of 9.7 percent from the previous year, according to the IIE Open Doors Open Data report. The majority of Emirati students studying abroad are majoring in Space Science, Engineering, Business and Information Technology and are majoring in
Space Science, Engineering, Business and Information Technology come from a public-school background. The top 5 receiving states are: California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts. The report provides the following segmentation:
Graduate Education: 266 students (10.7 percent) enrolled in graduate education in 2017, a decrease of 26.1 percent from the previous year.
Undergraduate: 1940 students (78 percent) enrolled in undergraduate education in 2017, a decrease of 3.3 percent from the previous year.
Non-Degree Studies: 215 students (8.6 percent) enrolled in non-degree programs in 2017, a decrease of 27.1 percent from the previous year.
Optional Practical Training (OPT): 65 students (2.6 percent) enrolled in OPT programs in 2017, a decrease of 28.6 percent from the previous year.
Opportunities in Higher Education
According to Colliers International, the higher education sector still offers a number of opportunities for investors and operators to grow, as currently, only 15 percent of total K12 students attend private universities in Dubai. Business related courses remain the most popular choice in Dubai, followed by engineering and agriculture, then media and design.
A report released by Najah[4] Abu Dhabi on the students’ and parents’ preferences on educational preferences, shows a strong preference for U.S. institutions, showing that they are amongst Emiratis’ top choices. While in high school, the greatest percentage (33.2 percent) of students are following the American curriculum, which is widely available since 68.4 percent of students attend private schools. The report is based on a survey conducted during the annual Najah Abu Dhabi education fair, the largest education fair in the UAE, shows that 71 percent attended the event to get informed about undergraduate studies opportunities, while 58.8 percent of the visitors intended to study abroad of the UAE and 33.2 percent of them in the United States specifically. Taking into consideration that after the “Courses Offered”, the next most important determinant of the students’ university decision (with 61.8 percent) is the “Location and Country”, it is indicated that The U.S. universities are the preferred choice for students wanting to study abroad. On the parents’ side, 62 percent of the parents attended the Najah show to find universities abroad, with 34.4 percent of them having the U.S. institutions as their most prevalent preference. Despite the high demand of top of the range U.S. institutions, the show is primarily occupied by regional universities. [5] We see an opportunity for U.S. universities to have a stronger appearance in such trade shows.
Simultaneously, there is continued demand for study in the United States in graduate, under-graduate and non-graduate studies. However, the largest number of tertiary level students from the UAE go to UK according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The United States ranks second. There is also a demand to open higher education institutions in the UAE. There is a total of 30 government-affiliated scholarship granting institutions which offer a number of scholarships to a select number of top U.S. universities, including ADEK, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Abu Dhabi Police, Dubai Police, and Presidential Department. Online programs are not covered under the scholarship programs. However, educational experts noted that there is a real demand for online programs in executive education.
K to 12 Education
To meet the needs of Emirati students, there is a need in the UAE for high-quality schools, with a rating of “good” or better, that cater specifically to local preferences (for example- by offering gender segregation and adequate provision of Arabic and religious studies).
For expatriate families, there is a need for high-quality schools, with fees in the low to mid-tuition range, structured around the International Baccalaureate (IB) and U.S. curriculum among others. There is also an opportunity to leverage Dubai’s drive to become a test-bed for innovation by introducing schools with modern, digital approaches to education.
This is a list of schools in the United Arab Emirates, listed by emirate:
Emirate of Abu Dhabi
- Abu Dhabi International School
- Canadian International School
- American International School, Abu Dhabi
- Al Sanawbar School
- Al Ain English Speaking School
- Abu Dhabi Indian School
- Abu Dhabi Model School
- ADNOC Schools
- Al Dhafra Private School
- Al Nahda National Schools
- Al Yasmina School
- Al Worood Academy
- American Community School of Abu Dhabi
- British International School, Abu Dhabi
- The British School – Al Khubairat
- Dunes International School, Abu Dhabi
- Educational Zone
- Emirates Future International Academy
- GEMS American Academy, Abu Dhabi
- Islamia English School
- Japanese School in Abu Dhabi
- Lycée Français Théodore Monod (United Arab Emirates)
- Lycée Louis Massignon
- The Military High School, Al-Ain
- Our Own English High School, Al Ain
- Reach British School
- Raha International School
- St Joseph’s School (Abu Dhabi)
- Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bangladesh Islamia School
- Zayed Al Awwal Secondary School
- Sheikh Zayed Private Academy For Girls
- Sheikh Zayed Private Academy For Boys
Emirate of Ajman
- Indian School Ajman
- British International School, Ajman
- Woodlem Park School, Ajman[1]
- Al Ameer English School, Ajman
- Habitat Private School
- International Indian School Ajman
- City School Ajman
- Ajman Academy
- Ajman Modern School
- Applied Technology High School
- Delhi Private School, Ajman
Emirate of Dubai
*Arcadia Schoolhttps://arcadia.sch.ae/
- Newlands School https://www.newlandsschool.ae/
- United International Private School, Dubai, UAE
- Dubai Heights Academy in Al-Barsha South
- JSS International School
- American Academy in Al-Mizhar
- American School of Creative Science Al Barsha, Dubai
- American School of Dubai
- Arab Unity School
- Buds Public School, Dubai
- Cambridge International School, Dubai
- Clarion School, Dubai
- Credence High School, Dubai
- Delhi Private School, Dubai
- Dubai National Charity School
- Dubai Carmel School
- Dubai American Academy
- Dubai British School
- Dubai College
- Dubai English Speaking College
- Dubai International Academy
- Dubai International School
- Dubai Japanese School
- Dubai Modern High School
- Dubai National School, Al Barsha
- Dubai National School, Al Twar
- Dubai Scholars Private School
- Emirates International School – Jumeirah
- English College Dubai
- Rising School Dubai
- English Language School, Dubai
- GEMS Wellington International School
- GEMS World Academy
- Greenfield Community School
- Greenwood International School
- Gulf Indian High School
- Gulf Model School
- Horizon English School, Dubai
- Horizon International School, Dubai
- International School of Creative Science Nad Al Sheba, Dubai
- International School of Choueifat, Dubai
- The Central School,Dubai
- The Indian High School, Dubai
- JSS Private School
- Jumeira Baccalaureate School
- Jumeirah College
- Jumeirah English Speaking School
- Latifa School for Girls
- New Indian Model School
- Next Generation School
- Nord Anglia International School Dubai
- North American International School
- Our Own High School
- Pakistan Education Academy
- The Philippine School, Dubai
- Raffles International School – South Campus
- Rashid School For Boys
- Regent International School
- Repton School Dubai
- St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Dubai, UAE
- Swiss International Scientific School Dubai
- Sabri Indian School, Dubai
- Westminster School, Dubai
- The Millennium School, Dubai
- Amled, Dubai
- Sunmarke School
- Jumeirah International Nurseries
Emirate of Fujairah
- Our Own English High School, Fujairah
- St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Fujairah
- Indian School Fujairah
- Diyar International School – Dibba
- Gems Winchester School – Fujairah
- Diyar International private School – Fujairah
Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah
Emirate of Sharjah
- Scholars International Academy
- New World American Pvt School, Al Falah Suburb, Near to Sharjah National Park, Sharjah
- Wesgreen International School
- Progressive English School Sharjah
- Gems Millenium School Sharjah
- American Academy in Al-Mizhar
- American Community School Sharjah
- American School of Creative Science Al Layyah, Sharjah
- Al Amaal English High School
- Delhi Private School, Sharjah
- International School of Choueifat
- International School of Creative Science Muwaileh, Sharjah
- Leaders Private School
- Our Own English High School, Sharjah
- Pakistan Islamia Higher Secondary School
- Sharjah American International School
- Sharjah English School
- Sharjah Indian School
- Al Wahda School
- Sharjah British International School Sharjah
- School of KnowledgeSharjah
Emirate of Umm al-Quwain
- Al Ameer Secondary School
- Choueifat School Umm Al Quwain
- Delhi Private School Umm Al Quwain
- East English School
- Elite American Private School UAQ
- New Indian School Umm Al Quwain
- Sharjah American School UAQ
- The English School, Umm al-Quwain
- Umm Al Qura Private School
See also
References
External links
- https://www.moe.gov.ae/ – UAE Government Ministry of Education (MOE) official website
- http://www.dubaifaqs.com/schools-list-uae.php – UAE school list selector
Related Events
Najah Education & Training Exhibition
Date: October 20- November 1, 2019
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, Abu Dhabi
Website: www.najahonline.com
EdEx Mena Investment (Conference & Exhibition)
Date: November 18-19, 2019
Venue : Le Méridien Hotel, Dubai
Website : https://education.knect365.com/edex-mena/
International Education Show,
Date: January 22-24, 2020
Venue: Expo Center Sharjah
Website: www.educationshow.ae
International Consultants for Education and Fairs (ICEF)
Date: February 10-12, 2020
Venue: Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai
Website: www.icef.com
Global Education Supplies and Solutions (GESS)
Date: February 25-27, 2020
Venue: Sheikh Saeed Halls, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
Website: www.gesseducation.com
Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF)
Date: Not been announced yet but will be in March 2020
Venue: Atlantis the Palm, Dubai
Website: www.educationandskillsforum.org-
Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX)
Date: April 16-18, 2020
Venue: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dubai
Website: www.mygetex.com
BETT Middle East and North Africa
Date: September14-15, 2020
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, Abu Dhabi
Website: www.mena.bettshow.com
Web Resources
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)
Boston Consulting Group
Colliers International
EducationUSA
Ministry of Education
Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
[1]http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?queryid=172[2]https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html[3]https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/new-advanced-skills-strategy-approved-by-uae-cabinet-1.866524[4] All data from Najah Report[5] From Najah ReportPrepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.