• Dubai's private school market has expanded to more than 200 schools. All graphics: Dubai Media Office
    Dubai's private school market has expanded to more than 200 schools. All graphics: Dubai Media Office
  • More than 320,000 children study in the city's private schools.
    More than 320,000 children study in the city's private schools.
  • The Hessa Street/Al Khail Road corridor is home to dozens of schools - and experiences heavy traffic.
    The Hessa Street/Al Khail Road corridor is home to dozens of schools - and experiences heavy traffic.
  • Four in every five teachers are women, while the bulk of school staff are Indian or British.
    Four in every five teachers are women, while the bulk of school staff are Indian or British.

UAE

Education

British curriculum most popular in Dubai, but American schools top choice for Emiratis

Regulator's report shows one in three teachers is Indian, while Ahmed is the most common name among pupils

Anam Rizvi
Anam Rizvi

November 15, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

The British curriculum remains the most popular choice in Dubai, but Emirati families prefer to send their children to American schools, a report reveals.

The findings released by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the emirate's private education regulator, show 36 per cent of pupils in Dubai study in British schools.

The Indian curriculum is the second most popular, attended by 26 per cent of pupils, followed by the American curriculum, attracting 15 per cent of pupils.

Only 7 per cent of children go to International Baccalaureate schools and 4 per cent choose the UK/IB hybrid curriculum.

The remaining 12 per cent attend other curriculum schools.

The majority of Emirati pupils enrolled in private schools — 60 per cent — go to American schools, followed by 24 per cent at British schools.

The report also found that four out of every five teachers are women. Indians make up 31 per cent of teachers, while 17 per cent are British and 10 per cent Egyptian.

The most common name for pupils is Ahmed.

There has been a sharp rise in private school enrolment. It increased to more than 326,000 this month, up from 303,262 pupils in April.

The number of private schools in Dubai increased to 216 in the 2022-23 academic year with the opening of four new schools. Together, they offer 17 curriculums.

The emirate is home to 216 private schools, of which 80 follow the British curriculum, 40 are American, 32 follow the Indian boards and 17 are IB schools.

Many of the top-rated schools in the city follow the UK curriculum.

“These enrolment figures represent healthy, sustainable growth, and show the trust that parents have in the ability of Dubai private schools to give their children an education that can meet the demands of the future,” said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA's director general.

KHDA releases such surveys every few months. Its last report was in April.

Dubai's top-ranked schools - in pictures

  • Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Located in Barsha South, Gems Dubai American Academy focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change. Reem Mohammed / The National
    Located in Barsha South, Gems Dubai American Academy focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches. The non-profit school was started in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Stephen Lock / The National
    The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches. The non-profit school was started in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Stephen Lock / The National
  • Dubai College in Al Sufouh is one of the oldest in the city and often touted as one of the best in the emirate. Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai College in Al Sufouh is one of the oldest in the city and often touted as one of the best in the emirate. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Gems Modern Academy, located in Nad Al Sheba 3, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
    Gems Modern Academy, located in Nad Al Sheba 3, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
  • Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Horizons English school, situated in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to Year 6, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled. Photo: Horizons English School
    Horizons English school, situated in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to Year 6, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled. Photo: Horizons English School
  • Kings School Barsha is a relatively new school, opening in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of 'outstanding' in its last two inspections. Satish Kumar / The National
    Kings School Barsha is a relatively new school, opening in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of 'outstanding' in its last two inspections. Satish Kumar / The National
  • Located in Umm Suqeim, close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai offers primary education for children aged 3 to 11. Photo: Kings School
    Located in Umm Suqeim, close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai offers primary education for children aged 3 to 11. Photo: Kings School
  • Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate programme. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate programme. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The Repton School located in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE. Photo: Repton Dubai
    The Repton School located in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010 by the KHDA. Photo: Jumeirah Primary School
    Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010 by the KHDA. Photo: Jumeirah Primary School
  • Jumeirah College, a UK curriculum school located in Al Safa 1, has 1,125 pupils from 59 countries. Photo: Jumeirah College
    Jumeirah College, a UK curriculum school located in Al Safa 1, has 1,125 pupils from 59 countries. Photo: Jumeirah College
  • Pupils at Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou have a consistently outstanding performance in mathematics across all ages, DSIB's latest quality indicators report showed. Pawan Singh / The National
    Pupils at Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou have a consistently outstanding performance in mathematics across all ages, DSIB's latest quality indicators report showed. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Jumeirah English Speaking School at Al Safa 1 has a little more than 2,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National
    Jumeirah English Speaking School at Al Safa 1 has a little more than 2,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Dubai English Speaking College at Academic City was established with the aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university. Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai English Speaking College at Academic City was established with the aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Victory Heights Primary School, located in the heart of the Sports City community opened in 2012. Teaching the British curriculum, it has just under 1,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National
    Victory Heights Primary School, located in the heart of the Sports City community opened in 2012. Teaching the British curriculum, it has just under 1,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The Nord Anglia International School Dubai, located in Al Barsha 3, teaches pupils from early years up to Year 13. Photo: Nord Anglia International School Dubai
    The Nord Anglia International School Dubai, located in Al Barsha 3, teaches pupils from early years up to Year 13. Photo: Nord Anglia International School Dubai
  • Dubai International Academy opened in Emirates Hills in 2005. It has more than 2,600 pupils, ranging in ages from 3 to 18. Reem Mohammed / The National
    Dubai International Academy opened in Emirates Hills in 2005. It has more than 2,600 pupils, ranging in ages from 3 to 18. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Deira International School, in Al Badia, Festival City, has just over 1,800 pupils enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 18. Photo: Deira International School
    Deira International School, in Al Badia, Festival City, has just over 1,800 pupils enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 18. Photo: Deira International School

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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    •    Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
    •    Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
    •    Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
    •    Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
 

 

Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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Source: YouGov

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Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.

Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.

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Nepotism is the name of the game

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French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

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