Five Surprising Facts About Dubai's Private School Landscape

Dubai’s private education sector has become an important part of the emirate’s economic and social development. It plays an important role in attracting global talent while at the same time creating opportunities for school operators, investors and education service providers.

While annual school rankings, fee announcements and new school openings often dominate the conversation, KHDA data also reveals a number of lesser-known characteristics that help understand the sector and explain how it has evolved.

Here are five surprising facts about Dubai’s private school landscape, and why they matter for parents, educators, school operators, investors and policymakers.

1. The UK curriculum dominates Dubai’s private school market

One of the most striking features of Dubai’s private education sector is the dominance of the UK curriculum.

Nearly 37% of the private school students in Dubai are enrolled in schools following the British curriculum, making it the largest curriculum segment in the emirate. The Indian curriculum ranks second, accounting for around 26% of students.

The difference is even more pronounced when measured by the number of schools. There are 90 UK curriculum schools compared with 34 Indian curriculum schools.

This may surprise many observers given the size of Dubai’s Indian expatriate population. The figures suggest that the British curriculum has evolved beyond serving British families alone, attracting students from a broad range of communities seeking internationally recognised qualifications.

For school operators and investors, this reinforces the continued strength of demand for British curriculum education. At the same time, the large number of schools offering the British curriculum means operators must differentiate themselves beyond curriculum alone. Educational outcomes, inspection ratings, facilities and the overall parent experience become increasingly important considerations for parents when choosing between schools.

2. Emirati Students Form the Second Largest Nationality Group

Dubai’s private schools are often viewed primarily as serving expatriate families. The data tells a very different story.

UAE nationals account for nearly 9% of all students in Dubai’s private schools, making them the second-largest nationality group after Indians.

The most popular curricula among Emirati students include the US, UK, International Baccalaureate and Ministry of Education curricula, reflecting demand for both internationally recognised qualifications and locally relevant education pathways.

The data highlights that Dubai’s private education sector cannot simply be viewed as an expatriate market. Emirati families also form an important part of the sector, influencing demand across a range of international and national curricula. For school operators, this underlines the importance of understanding the preferences and expectations of Emirati parents alongside those of Dubai’s diverse expatriate communities.

3. On Average, Dubai Private Schools Have Students Representing 53 Nationalities

One of the defining characteristics of Dubai’s private school sector is its extraordinary diversity.

On average, Dubai private schools have students representing 53 nationalities. Over 40% of schools have students representing over 60 nationalities, while 11 schools have students representing 100 or more nationalities.

Such diversity creates both opportunities and operational complexity. Schools must cater to students with different educational backgrounds, languages, cultures and parental expectations while maintaining a cohesive learning environment.

The figures also illustrate how closely Dubai’s education sector reflects the city’s wider demographic profile. As Dubai has developed into an international business and talent hub, its schools have evolved to serve an equally international student population.

4. Dubai’s Schools Rely on a Globally Diverse Teaching Workforce

Dubai’s private schools are often described as international because of their students, but the same is true of their teachers.

The teaching workforce reflects the global nature of the sector. Teachers come from a wide range of countries, with India, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Ireland and Syria forming the five largest nationality groups. They are joined by educators from many other parts of the world, bringing together diverse teaching approaches, classroom experience and educational traditions.

This international workforce enables schools to deliver a wide range of curricula while reflecting the diversity of their student communities. It also highlights the sector’s dependence on international teacher mobility. As Dubai’s private education sector continues to grow, attracting and retaining high-quality teachers from around the world will remain an important priority for school operators.

5. Dubai’s Private Schools Offer 17 Different Curricula

Dubai’s private schools offer 17 different curriculum options, ranging from British, Indian, American and International Baccalaureate programmes to French, German, Japanese, Pakistani, Russian, Philippine and several others.

This breadth of choice reflects the diversity of Dubai’s population and enables families to select a curriculum that best aligns with their educational preferences, cultural background and future higher education aspirations.

For school operators, curriculum is a key strategic decision. It influences everything from teacher recruitment and regulatory requirements to student demographics and university pathways. The wide range of curriculum options also means schools compete not only with others following the same curriculum, but across different education systems, giving parents an unusually broad range of choices.

What These Five Facts Tell Us

Taken together, these five characteristics reveal a private education sector that has evolved into one of Dubai’s strategic economic assets rather than simply a collection of schools.

The combination of multiple curricula, a highly international student body and a globally diverse teaching workforce has created an education ecosystem that supports Dubai’s broader ambition to attract skilled professionals and their families from around the world.

This also aligns closely with the objectives of Dubai’s Education 33 (E33) strategy, which aims to strengthen educational quality, expand access, improve student wellbeing, support Emirati participation and position Dubai as a global destination for learning.

For investors and school operators, the implications extend beyond enrolment growth. Future opportunities are likely to be shaped by evolving curriculum preferences, demand for affordable and premium school places, teacher recruitment, education technology, student wellbeing, and specialised services that support increasingly diverse school communities.

The numbers therefore tell a story that goes well beyond education. They offer an insight into how Dubai is using private education as part of its wider strategy to attract talent, strengthen competitiveness and support long-term economic growth.

Source: KHDA, Dubai Private School Landscape 2024-25