The UAE has suspended the operation of school buses, meaning they will not be in use when one million pupils return to classrooms next week.
The Ministry of Education announced the decision on Thursday and said it would be reviewed weekly.
It means parents across the country will need to use their cars for drop-offs next week.
Nurseries, public and private schools resume normal operations on Monday, seven weeks after they closed due to the Iran war. Lessons were held remotely before and after an early spring break holiday.
The ministry said the decision on school buses had been made to allow for the completion of “operational readiness” procedures, with the support of transport authorities and municipalities nationwide.
“This step comes as part of ongoing co-ordination to ensure the smooth operation of school transport services in line with safety requirements and operational arrangements across all emirates,” the ministry stated.
Why are bus services postponed while classrooms reopen?
School bus operations require additional operational arrangements to ensure service readiness in line with safety standards, the Ministry of Education said in a post on X.
Educational institutions, meanwhile, have completed their full readiness for in-person learning.
The Ministry recognises that some families may face transport challenges, the post continued. It added that special cases will be reviewed by school administrations in co-ordination with parents to provide the highest degree of flexibility.
Schools will also address lateness related to transport issues, providing flexibility on a case-by-case basis.
Transport fees do not apply for public schools. For private schools, arrangements will be regulated by their local education authority.
Hundreds of thousands affected
Hundreds of thousands of pupils normally use the yellow buses to reach school each day, and traffic is likely to be heavy as a result of the suspension. Emirates Transport, the biggest operator with more than 9,000 buses, has previously said it serves about 260,000 pupils nationwide.
Authorities have said private schools can operate a hybrid system of in-class and online learning if they wish to.
Schools adopted distance learning at the beginning of March as a precautionary measure in response to Iran's attacks on the UAE.
The country’s air defences have intercepted 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones since Iran began its daily attacks on February 28.
A two-week conditional ceasefire was agreed between Iran and the US last week. Subsequent talks mediated by Pakistan have failed to secure a resolution to the conflict.
The UAE has not faced air strikes since last Thursday.
