The UAE’s education sector has undergone extensive reforms by 2025, with policy makers issuing curriculum revisions, new course frameworks and programs aimed at aligning learning outcomes with economic and technological priorities.
One of the most important changes was the introduction of artificial intelligence as a compulsory subject from Kindergarten to Grade 12, placing the UAE among the first countries in the world to embed AI at all school levels. This move reflects a broader emphasis on future skills as part of national development plans.
This year also saw the launch of the Zayed Education Foundation, a program designed to support 100,000 young talents by 2035 and prepare students to participate in economic, social and environmental progress.
The Ministry of Education has announced the revised education stream for Cycle 3 students in public and private schools following the national curriculum. An advanced stream is introduced to prepare students for fields such as engineering, medicine, pharmacy and science, while general streams allow for specialization in the humanities, law, business, arts and social sciences.
UAE accelerates education reforms by 2025
In early education, the department approved a mandatory framework for teaching Arabic language, Islamic education and social concepts in kindergartens in private schools in all subjects. Arabic teaching time has also been extended, as well as language-focused hours every day for Cycle One students.
The changes in higher education were more prominent. The Council for Education, Human Development and Community Development has adopted new criteria governing overseas study programs and scholarship programs, with the aim of better aligning student pathways with the needs of the labor market and national priority sectors. Council also approved changes to the age cutoff for Kindergarten and Grade 1 admission, changing the date to December 31 starting in the 2026–2027 school year.
Assessment systems were restructured in the 2025-2026 academic year, with standardized tests at the end of the second semester being phased out and replaced with school-based summative assessments. The centralized exams will now end in the first and third semesters.
At the emirate level, the Department of Education and Information of Abu Dhabi launched the Pre-Departure Week program to prepare 300 students to study abroad.
Professional development has also gained momentum with the launch of the “Executive Educational Excellence Pioneers” program under the Mohamed bin Zayed Award for Excellence, which aims to equip award-winning educators to lead industry-wide change.
Meanwhile, higher education capacity is expanding with the opening of the new campus of Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities in Al Dhafra, which offers Islamic and social studies programs as well as humanitarian work.
Together, these measures reflect a systematic goal to modernize education policy, strengthen skills development and prepare students for a technology-driven future.
