ABU DHABI // Investing in sports and arts is the way the emirate’s top schools are attempting to distinguish themselves from the rest.
Teachers at these schools said that by being able to offer extra-curricular activities they are helping to mould more confident and well-rounded pupils.
At Cranleigh Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, the school’s facilities include a 600-seat theatre, complete with a full orchestra pit, a dance hall, 10 private music practice rooms, a multipurpose gymnasium and two outdoor swimming pools.
Headmaster Brendan Law believes such facilities justify the higher fees the school charges because it improves a child’s education experience. Last academic year the fees were up to Dh80,000.
“The more you see children involved in the broader aspects of school life, the more they seem to achieve in the academics,” Mr Law said.
“What that’s doing is it’s setting them up for life, it’s giving them life skills that they need to then be able to hit the city and the marketplace with a great deal of confidence and a rounded character.
“It’s who you are and not what you’ve got on a degree certificate that’s going to really set you apart in the world.”
Clive Pierrepont, director of communications for the education group Taaleem, which operates Raha International School (RIS) in Abu Dhabi, agreed top-class facilities were essential for the best schools.
“We’ve got a lot of incredibly talented students in our schools and developing all aspects of their personality and fostering their talents is one of our main missions,” Mr Pierrepont said. Next year at RIS a 650-seat auditorium will open to support its performing and creative arts programme.
“Gone are the days that when you have successfully completed a conventional but ever narrowing academic education that you are guaranteed a job for life in a traditional profession such as law or banking,” he said.
Education was not just about providing children with academic qualifications “but also skills that are going to help them be to able to adapt and problem solve in a rapidly changing world”.
Simon Crane, deputy head co-curricular at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, said his school encouraged pupils to try out arts and sports activities.
“The big thing we say at Brighton College is that pupils need to try a variety of pursuits as they are growing up,” he said.
“The research suggests that if children specialise too early, it can cause burnout, so it’s important that they are exposed to a wide variety of activities.”
He believed that the pupils who were most academically successful were “also very successful outside the classroom in the sports field or on the stage”.
Public schools operated by the Ministry of Education also place a strong value on the performing arts and physical education, said Hanan Elattar, a supervisor for the Sharjah Education Zone.
She believed musical studies could help children “express themselves in a better way so they learn about other cultures and they learn how to function in groups”.
In the 22 years that she had been working in the UAE, she said, she had seen a change in education, with much more emphasis now on arts and sports.
rpennington@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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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
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
