ABU DHABI // Schools in Abu Dhabi are bursting at the seams because of an expanding workforce and a government decree requiring public sector employees to live in the emirate.
One school, Raha International, received about 700 applications for 88 places in its kindergarten year.
The school added extra classes in grades eight, nine and 10 but “every other grade is completely full with a waiting list”, said Jules Murray, its director of development and admissions.
“We took 200 and we said, ‘you’re on the waiting list’. Obviously siblings take priority.” The other applicants were placed on a standby list and will be offered a place only if another pupil drops out.
The capacity of the K-12 International Baccalaureate school has increased to 1,575 from 1,400 last year. It wants to build a second school but plans have been delayed by red tape.
“We’ve had planning permission in for the past two years to build another school and we can’t get the planning permission through,” Ms Murray said. “It’s the Government, they either need to reverse the decree and allow people to live anywhere or they need to build a lot more schools.”
Ms Murray has been directing families to the Abu Dhabi Grammar School Branch 1 in Mohammad bin Zayed City, which teaches a Canadian curriculum and will open on Sunday.
She said a lack of school spaces needed addressing urgently.
“If they just gave parents freedom to live where they want to live – because obviously they’re not getting their housing allowance if they don’t comply with the decree and come here – and just be a little bit more lenient on that, it would allow children to go to school where they’re living, which is Sharjah or Dubai, rather than having to transfer here.”
Most of the Gems Education schools in the emirate are also operating at or close to capacity.
“Overall we have seen a rise in the numbers of students … in Abu Dhabi, with the majority seeing enrolment at or close to capacity,” said Dino Varkey, the company’s chief operating officer.
“For example, our Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi at Baniyas, which opened last year, welcomed around 1,200 students in September 2013. This academic year, we’ve more than doubled our intake with just under 3,000 students passing through the school gates.”
The American Community School of Abu Dhabi has had more than 1,000 inquiries from parents from other emirates who want to move their children to the capital.
“However, we have a substantial waiting list and could not accommodate most of those requests,” said school spokeswoman Valerie Cox. “We also had a large influx of American applications this year due to the expansion of Cleveland Clinic, New York University Abu Dhabi and an increase in US embassy applications.
“Since Americans have priority, according to our by-laws, this group of applicants had a greater impact on our student population than the applications of students whose families already reside in the UAE.”
Abdul Kader, principal of the Model School Abu Dhabi, said his Indian curriculum school was “almost full” with only a few places available as families changed jobs and moved from the emirate. With 4,800 pupils, Mr Kader said he often had to direct prospective families to other schools.
“We tell them to try some other place, there is no other way now because we have a limitation,” Mr Kader said. He pointed out that Adec had limited the size of kindergarten classes to 25 pupils and higher grades to 30. With 850 pupils, Mr Kader’s kindergarten classes are full. “We don’t have room,” he said.
“If somebody is leaving that seat will be available. More schools are needed for middle and low-income people.”
Application numbers are also up at Aldar Academies, which operates primary and secondary schools in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain.
“There are some available spaces mainly in the secondary years at Al Yasmina School, Al Bateen School and Al Ain International School,” a spokesman said.
“We have plans to open a primary and girls-only secondary school for 1,800 students in Abu Dhabi by September 2015.”
A 2013 report by Adec projected that 15 new private schools would open this academic year. The number that have opened this term is not known because Adec did not respond to requests for comment.
rpennington@thenational.ae
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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