Dubai’s private education sector continues to record steady growth, with 26 new private educational institutions preparing to open their doors during the 2026-2027 academic year. This expansion reflects the continued development of the sector and the growing range of educational opportunities available to families and learners across the emirate.
The new institutions include 17 early childhood centers offering more than 1,700 new places, along with seven private schools that will add 16,846 student places. Two international higher education institutions will also open, further broadening the range of high-quality educational options available in Dubai.
The expansion supports the objectives of the Dubai Education Strategy 2033, which focuses on providing learners with a wide and diverse range of educational opportunities, improving access to high-quality education, and strengthening Dubai’s position as an attractive international destination for education and globally recognized academic institutions.
Continued Growth in Dubai’s Private Education Sector
Dubai’s private education sector continues to demonstrate positive and resilient performance. Annual growth in the number of students enrolled in early childhood centers, private schools, and higher education institutions reached 4.6% over the past three academic years, despite the challenges experienced during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Continued investment and expansion by education providers, together with the opening of new internationally recognized educational institutions, are contributing to the growth and development of Dubai’s private education ecosystem while giving students and families a broader range of learning opportunities.
At the same time, Dubai continues to attract education professionals from around the world. The number of teachers working in the emirate’s private education sector has increased by 17.5% over the past three academic years, supporting the quality of the learning experience and strengthening institutions’ ability to meet students’ needs.
Her Excellency Aisha Abdullah Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, said: “The continued growth of Dubai’s private education sector reflects the confidence that learners, families, educators, and education providers place in Dubai as a destination for high-quality education. Every new early childhood center, every school, and every higher education institution will help expand opportunities for learners at every stage of their educational journey and bring us closer to our shared ambition of strengthening Dubai’s position as one of the best education systems in the world.”
Her Excellency added: “Through the Dubai Education Strategy 2033, we are working to build an education system that provides broad and diverse choices, nurtures talent, attracts leading global institutions, and equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to thrive in the future, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Plan 2033 and its economic and social agendas.”
17 New Early Childhood Centers
Dubai’s early childhood sector is set for further expansion during the 2026-2027 academic year, with 17 new centers expected to open and provide more than 1,700 new places for children.
The new centers will offer a diverse range of curricula designed to meet the needs of families and give them greater choice. These include the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (EYFS), Montessori, the Ontario curriculum, as well as French and Indian curricula.
This diversity will give families greater flexibility in selecting an early learning approach that suits their children while improving access to high-quality early childhood education closer to residential communities across Dubai.
Dubai’s private early childhood sector has also grown over the past three years, with 87 new centers opening during that period. The number of children enrolled in early childhood centers increased by 2.6% over the same period.
7 Private Schools Add 16,846 Student Places
Dubai is also preparing to welcome seven new private schools during the 2026-2027 academic year. Together, they will add 16,846 student places, increasing the sector’s overall capacity and providing families and learners with more educational choices.
Four of the new schools will offer the British curriculum, while three will provide the International Baccalaureate curriculum, reflecting the continued diversity of educational programs available across the emirate and the strong demand for international learning pathways.
The new schools include branches of several prominent British institutions, including Harrow International School Dubai, Queen Elizabeth’s School Dubai Sports City, and Rugby School Dubai.
Over the past three years, 21 new private schools have opened in Dubai, while student enrollment in the private school sector increased by 3.1% during the same period.
This continued expansion will help meet growing demand for private education and give families greater flexibility when selecting schools, curricula, and programs that best suit their children’s educational needs.
Two International Universities Strengthen Dubai’s Higher Education Sector
Dubai’s higher education landscape is also becoming more diverse with the opening of two internationally recognized institutions, adding new academic opportunities for students and further strengthening the emirate’s position as a global hub for higher education and research.
Peking University HSBC Business School is scheduled to launch its Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programs in January 2027. The programs are ranked 47th globally according to the referenced QS ranking.
The American University of Beirut’s Dubai campus will also open its doors in September 2026, introducing another internationally recognized academic option for students seeking higher education in the emirate.
Dubai’s higher education sector has recorded strong growth in recent years. Eleven new higher education institutions have opened over the past three years, while the number of students enrolled in the sector increased by 29% during the same period.
