Federal

• Ministry of Education

Ministry of Education (MoE) supervises both government-run and private educational institutions. Its scope extends to all schools, although private schools are not managed directly nor are they obliged to follow a specific curriculum beyond Arabic language, social studies, and Islamic studies. However, they must adhere to the ministry’s general regulations.

In the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, the responsibility of overseeing the schools is shared between the ministry and the respective local educational authorities. However, in the emirates of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the ministry supervises the schools through its regional branches or educational zones.

Local

Abu Dhabi 

Department of Education and Knowledge was established by the H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE in accordance with Law No. 24 of 2005, aiming to develop education and educational institutions in the emirate.


The department is responsible for supervising, regulating and spearheading the development initiatives within the education sector in the Abu Dhabi emirate, including public and private schools. In 2010, the Department of Education and Knowledge launched the New School Model (NSM), a new learning approach that addresses the current challenges in public school sector and brings about tangible improvements in the delivery of education. Read about Education system in Abu Dhabi- TAMM

Dubai

Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has the authority to inspect schools in the emirate and is responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai. It supports schools, parents, students, educators, investors and government partners to create a high-quality education sector focused on happiness and wellbeing.
 
The following entities are part of KHDA scope of work:

• The Dubai Schools Inspections Bureau (DSIB), responsible for setting the quality standards for education services in Dubai
• The Dubai School Agency (DSA), established by virtue of the Executive Council Decree No. 11 of 2007 to oversee the development of school-based educational services in the emirate.
    

Sharjah 

In November 2018, the Government of Sharjah issued the Emiri Decree No. 45 of 2018 to establish Sharjah Private Education Authority. The new education authority is affiliated to Sharjah Government and enjoys a legal personality and full capacity to achieve its objectives.

Other emirates

• Schools in Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah operate under MoE through local branches or educational zones.