For 50 years, the German International School Abu Dhabi has provided an enduring link between the UAE and Germany, teaching generations of pupils a German curriculum while keeping Emirati language, culture and traditions at the heart of school life.
Founded in 1976, four years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, the school has grown into an international institution where Emirati, German and other pupils study alongside one another. Today, more than 80 Emirati pupils attend the school, with some joining in kindergarten and remaining until Year 12.
Many become fluent in German while continuing to study Arabic and English. Its golden anniversary comes as President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed begins a state visit to Germany on Wednesday, his first visit to the country since becoming UAE President.
The visit is expected to open new avenues of co-operation, building on diplomatic relations established in 1972 and a strategic partnership signed in 2004. The school offers one of the longest-standing examples of that relationship at a human level.
A diverse success story
New principal Birgit Spickermann believes the school's ability to place German education within a diverse international community has been central to the school's longevity.
“Bringing German school life into a truly international setting is the secret – to live together, to study together, to be a community and a team,” she said. “That is probably why this school has been here for such a long time and is growing all the time.”
The school follows German teaching methods and curriculums, but pupils also study Arabic and UAE social studies. UAE National Day celebrations are an important part of school life.
“It is our goal to bring in German pedagogics and German curriculums, but it’s very important to combine that with Emirati culture,” Ms Spickermann said. “The children encounter Emirati culture, languages and German in combination. I think that is what makes having a German international school in this country special.”
The school became officially recognised as part of Germany’s network of schools abroad in the 2006–07 academic year. It later introduced an upper-secondary section, with pupils able to work towards the German International Abitur and apply to universities in Germany and elsewhere.
Its links with the Emirati community have also been strengthened through the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Scholarship. The full scholarship gives young Emirati children the opportunity to enter the school’s kindergarten and begin learning German at an early age.
A local flavour
Ms Spickermann said about five to 10 Emirati pupils join the programme each year. They receive additional language lessons, with German reinforced through subjects including biology, geography, history and social studies.
“We have good teachers,” Ms Spickermann said. “I think the key is to really focus on the children, try to understand what their needs are, make the groups smaller and give them all the help they need.”
For 17-year-old Hamdan Al Zaabi, the school has been part of almost his entire childhood. The Year 12 pupil joined the school in KG1 and now speaks German alongside Arabic and English. His older brother also graduated from the school and is studying in Germany, a path Hamdan hopes to follow.
“The way I keep the balance between the UAE and Germany is through my classmates,” he said. “I have Emirati classmates as well as German classmates and other international classmates, which combine all of the cultures together.”
Hala Al Nuaimi, also in Year 12, entered the school in KG1 after her older brother joined through the scholarship programme. “I think the German school is special because not many Emiratis have this third language,” she said.
Her earliest memory is of arriving as a frightened kindergarten pupil who could not speak German. “I was very scared and I was crying,” she said. “But the teachers were very good at making me feel welcome. They made it very easy for me to learn, especially because I enrolled at a very young age.”
Rashed Al Mehrezi, a Year 11 pupil who has attended since KG1, also hopes to study in Germany, where his older brother is at university. Rashed plans to study artificial intelligence or business and says the school’s diversity is its greatest strength.
“There are people from all around the world,” he said. Fatima Al Hosani, a Year 9 pupil who has attended for nine years, said her parents chose the school because of the scholarship and their family’s connections with Germany.
She now values being able to communicate with German speakers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “I’m really glad my parents decided to choose the German language,” she said. “The way they teach it is really good. All the students can speak German fluently.”
Arabic remains one of her favourite subjects, while UAE National Day celebrations are among her fondest school experiences. “The National Days here are always very, very amazing,” she said. “They’re super well organised, and it’s just really fun.”
Ms Spickermann said the anniversary demonstrated what Emiratis and Germans could achieve by learning and working together.
“This is a perfect sign of how we can build bridges, work together and learn together,” she said. Her message to Emirati pupils is simple: “You are very warmly welcomed at our school, and we’re proud of everything you will achieve here.”
