Dubai: Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has confirmed that there will be no increase in school fees for private schools in the emirate for the 2026-27 academic year. This forms part of the Dubai leadership’s commitment to supporting families and responding to their needs.

The decision follows His Highness’s approval of the second economic incentives package in Dubai, valued at AED1.5 billion, bringing the total value of economic incentives introduced in the emirate recently to AED2.5 billion. The second package includes 33 initiatives to be implemented over a period of three to 12 months.

Under these measures, private educational institutions permitted by KHDA will benefit from the deferrals or instalments of licence renewal fees, as well as the deferral of fines.

Early childhood centres permitted by KHDA will also be exempt from licence renewal fees, fines, and Dubai Municipality market fees.

The Knowledge Fund Establishment has also introduced a range of support measures for its affiliated institutions. Early childhood centres will benefit from partial rent exemptions and extended rent-free periods for centres currently under construction.

Educational institutions will also receive broader support measures, including partial or full exemptions from guarantee insurance requirements for cancelled contracts, the temporary suspension of contractual penalty clauses, a freeze on scheduled rent increases at renewal, and deferred rental payments.

This step reflects Dubai’s commitment to ensuring the stability and sustainable growth of the private education sector, which continues to operate efficiently and flexibly while balancing the interests of all stakeholders and supporting families during this period.

Resilience and operational readiness

More than 95% of students are currently attending on-site learning at private schools, reflecting the sector’s strong educational and operational readiness, as well as its ability to maintain continuity of learning and adapt quickly to changing circumstances through proactive planning and a flexible, sustainable operating model.

The strong return to on-site learning also reflects growing confidence in the resilience of Dubai’s education system. Recent surveys conducted during KHDA listening sessions with members of the education community showed strong confidence among school leaders in the sector’s ability to continue evolving and advancing educational standards, ensuring that Dubai remains a model for delivering a fully integrated education system that equips future generations with world-class academic foundations.

Participating teachers also identified resilience as the quality students are most likely to remember from this period in the years ahead, reflecting a strong culture of adaptability, care, and positive responses to challenges across Dubai’s education community.

Dubai’s private education sector continues to offer families a wide range of educational choices across 17 different curricula, with diverse fee options and locations across the emirate, helping parents choose the learning environment best suited to their children.

KHDA also offers the Girnas – Educational Advisor service for parents through smart chat support and personalised one-to-one sessions for Emirati families, helping them choose the most suitable school for their children.

Shamma Al Mansouri, Director of Licensing and Educational Services at KHDA, said: “Dubai’s private school sector continues to demonstrate flexibility and resilience in adapting to evolving developments, ensuring continuity of learning through a flexible and sustainable regulatory framework that strengthens the sector’s stability and competitiveness. This further reinforces Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for quality education, in line with the goals of Dubai’s Education 33 Strategy.”

Al Mansouri added that Dubai remains committed to ensuring the stability and sustainable growth of the private education sector while balancing the interests of all stakeholders and supporting families. Around 9,000 new affordable school places were introduced during the current academic year. Schools in this segment currently serve around 230,000 students.

The sector is also preparing to add approximately 7,500 more affordable school places over the next two academic years through incentive packages for education providers, reflecting a proactive approach to meeting the evolving needs of families through diverse educational options.

KHDA is currently reviewing more than 30 applications to open new private schools, following the opening of six new schools during the current academic year. Student enrolment in Dubai’s private schools also increased by 6% in 2025, reflecting growing confidence in the quality of private education in Dubai and its ability to support the emirate’s population and economic growth.