Licensing private educational institutes

Ministry of Education manages registration of private schools in the UAE except in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai and Sharjah Private Education Authority are responsible for registration of private schools in the respective emirates. Only UAE nationals and companies where a national is its 51% owner can apply to start a school.

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Regulation of private schools

Federal Decree Law No. 18 of 2020 on Private Education (PDF, 4 MB, available in Arabic only) organises the educational process in the UAE’s private schools. It regulates the licensing of private schools, the approval of educational curricula and the safety of students.

Article 11 of the Decree Law outlines certain obligations that private schools must comply with. The obligations include:

  • providing all educational, administrative, health and environmental requirements, as well as security and safety measures within their premises
  • appointing qualified teachers and administrative and technical staff
  • managing the school and its facilities in accordance with official instructions and guidelines
  • maintaining academic quality
  • implementing the requirements and conditions applied to public schools that follow the MoE curriculum, as specified by Ministry of Education
  • submitting an annual report to MoE or the relevant education authority on the academic, financial and administrative status of the school
  • facilitating the duties of MoE-authorised staff in auditing, evaluation, and monitoring school operations, documents and facilities
  • maintaining proper records and files for students and staff
  • ensuring that teachers and school principals obtain a professional licence from MoE in accordance with regulations
  • preserving the Islamic and Arab principles, public morals and the UAE’s values and traditions
  • respecting the national identity and sovereignty
  • ensuring that all staff enjoy good reputation and have no prior convictions for crimes involving dishonour or breach of trust, unless rehabilitated
  • ·not changing the school’s name, address, licence partners, premises, facilities or curriculum, nor making any major modification to its activities, without prior approval from MoE or the local education authority concerned
  • playing the national anthem and raising the flag of the UAE only, without any other flag
  • ·not placing any pictures or paintings of personalities or figures other than the leaders of the UAE
  • ·not using school facilities for unlicensed purposes or conducting any additional activities or training courses without prior approval from MoE or the local education authority concerned
  • ·not organising lectures or seminars unrelated to the educational activity without prior approval
  • ·obtaining prior approval from MoE or the education authority before organising official visits, field trips, or inviting external speakers
  • complying with any additional requirements as determined by MoE or the local education authority.

 

Further, private schools cannot raise or change educational fees or add extra fees to its activities unless it has the approval of MOE or the local education authority first.

 

They must have a policy for students’ affairs that includes equality and non-discrimination, professional treatment of students and parents, and a supportive environment for students of determination (students with special needs for mental or physical disabilities). Schools must also provide an inclusive environment and supportive programmes for students of determination.

 

School management is responsible for keeping the students safe during the academic day, whether they are inside the school, on its facilities, on buses or outside its premises while being engaged in any of the school’s activities. Schools must comply with the safety and security policy issued by MoE or the education authority, and with school transport requirements under applicable legislation. The school is responsible for the safety and protection of its enrolled students during school hours, on its premises, buses, or during any external school activities.

 

Schools must comply with the unified Code of Conduct issued by MoE, or the local education authority.

MoE or the education authority may impose penalties on a private school in case of violations of this decree-law or its executive regulations. Penalties include warnings, fines, temporary closure, suspension of educational activities for up to one academic year or permanent closure.

Licensing a private school in the Northern Emirates

Following are the requirements to be followed by a private school that is applying for a licence:

  1. the school’s location should be suitable for the required activities as per the related executive regulation
  2. the school building should be suitable for educational and training activities and compliant with all health, safety and security conditions
  3. school business shall be limited to related educational and training activities.

 

Conditions to be met by the applicant

The applicant must

  1. be at least 25 years old
  2. have full civil capacity
  3. not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving dishonour or breach of trust, unless rehabilitated
  4. obtain all necessary official approvals
  5. be financially capable of fulfilling obligations of the private educational institution.

Conditions to be met by national companies seeking to establish private educational institutes

The company must:

  1. be registered with the relevant authorities in the UAE
  2. have its headquarters in the UAE
  3. include development of educational and training activities in its objectives
  4. be financially capable of fulfilling obligations of the private educational institution.

Related links

Licensing a private school in Abu Dhabi

Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is responsible for licensing schools in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Refer to Organising Regulations of Private Schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (in Arabic PDF, 27 MB) for more information about private school licensing in Abu Dhabi.

 

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Licensing a private school in Dubai

Knowledge and Human Development Authority is responsible for licensing private schools in the emirate. Learn more about registration of private schools in the emirate of Dubai at the following links:

Licensing higher educational institutes

Ministry of Education is responsible for licensing higher educational institutes in all emirates. Licensing higher educational institutes is subject to the following conditions:

  • Approval of the competent authority in each emirate (i.e. KHDA in Dubai and Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi)
  • Security approval by the competent authority
  • Fulfilling standards required for the licence.

The application for licensing higher educational institutes goes through some phases. They are: 

  1. Creating an account on the MOE website to fill in the application form online
  2. Studying the application by the MOE
  3. Holding a meeting with the officials from the educational institutes
  4. An external committee will visit and evaluate the education institute
  5. An evaluation report will be made and sent to the institute
  6. The institute will reply to the committee report
  7. If recommendations of the committee are not applied, the report will be returned to the institute again
  8. The institute will reply to the committee after fulfilling all recommendations
  9. A letter of recommendation for licensing will be sent to the deputy minister’s office.

Related links

Updated On :

06 Oct 2025

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