Many pupils across the UAE who received their GCSE grades on Thursday morning have set their sights on careers that won't exist until years into the future.
Young people across the country anxiously logged into the results portal to receive their grades at 11am.
About a third of the UAE's about 600 private schools follow the British curriculum. This makes it one of the largest private school markets in the world and a major outpost of British education.
Pupils and staff spoke about how the jobs they perform when they are adults could be very different than those currently available.
“I think we are seeing that mix of going into professions we know will exist for the future – doctors, teachers, lawyers – but also that side of creativity where young people are keeping their options open and are looking at those critical thinking skills and choosing subjects to help support that pathway,” said Simon Crane, head teacher Brighton College Dubai.
Aymin Yenen, a Dubai British School Jumeirah Park pupil, said she was “incredibly scared” before opening her results but was delighted to discover she had achieved straight grade 9s in all subjects except mathematics, where she earned an 8. She also received full marks in English Literature.
“I was shaking trying not to peek,” she said. “But the anxiety disappeared the second I opened my results. It feels like instant relief after two years of hard work.”
She credited her success to long hours of study and the support of her peers. “One of my anchors was my friends. We studied together using active recall, asking each other questions and turning weaknesses into strengths.”
Looking ahead, she plans to study A Levels in English Language, Mathematics, History and Computer Science to follow a career in either law, cybersecurity or AI.
Doubling down
Singaporean twins Kacia Shiya and Katelyn Shiqi Huang, studying at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, both achieved nine grade 9s.
“As twins, we worked by constantly critiquing each other’s work and competing against each other, which turned out to be the best way to improve our knowledge and understanding,” said Kacia. “Our next steps involve conquering A Levels together and eventually getting into medicine in Singapore.”
At Jebel Ali School, one of the country's oldest, secondary head teacher Eleanor Wade said 40 per cent of grades were awarded at levels 8 and 9, formerly A and A*.
She called it “a truly outstanding accomplishment”. The school is now looking ahead to the expansion of its sixth form, aiming to build on this year’s success.
A total of 107 of its pupils sat 927 exams this year, up from 80 schoolchildren and 681 exams in 2024. Most schools in the city have grown on the back of a population boom.
Brighton College Dubai said it celebrated its best GCSE results. This year, 25 per cent of all results were grade 9, while 45 per cent were at grades 8 to 9.
Among the top achievers was Ibrahim Chatha, who earned 11 grade 9s. Rudayna Yassin secured 10 grade 9s, alongside excelling as an international volleyball player and gifted musician.
Gems Education, the largest private school operator, announced its largest GCSE cohort yet, with more than 4,000 pupils sitting 28,227 exams across 23 schools.
There were 26 per cent of entries who achieved grades 8 to 9 or A*, while 45 per cent secured grades 7 to 9 (A to A*). It said this significantly outperformed the UK national average for the 12th consecutive year.
Group chief education officer Lisa Crausby credited the results to “high expectations combined with genuine care and personalised support”. Jumeirah College and Wellington International were among its top-performing schools.
Making the grade
Schools across the UAE were celebrating successful exam results on Thursday. At Repton Abu Dhabi, 85 per cent of pupils were awarded A* – B (9–6).
Expressing his delight with this year’s performance, school principal Steven Lupton said the exam results highlighted the “ambition, resilience and determination” of the pupils. “The consistent progress we are witnessing each year is a powerful testament to their commitment and our community’s pursuit of excellence.”
There were celebrations at Dubai College as more than 1,450 GCSE exams sat by 148 pupils had a pass rate of almost 100 per cent.
“These results are a reflection of the work of our entire community,” said head teacher Tom Duckling. “They are an outstanding performance by the young people that inspire us every day at Dubai College, but they are also a product of the passion and commitment of our teachers, our support staff and our parent body.”
