Dubai has made Arabic lessons mandatory for children under six in all private schools and early childhood centres across the emirate. The directive, issued under Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, marks a significant shift in early years education and applies to every private institution — regardless of curriculum — starting September 2025.
What Is Loughat Al Daad?
The new requirement falls under Loughat Al Daad — Arabic for "the language of Daad," a letter unique to the Arabic script. It is one of 28 transformative initiatives within Dubai's Education 33 strategy, which sets ambitious targets for the emirate's private school sector through 2033.
Sheikh Hamdan directed the KHDA to create "captivating Arabic teaching programmes for both native and non-native speakers." The announcement was made to coincide with International Mother Language Day, underlining the cultural significance of the initiative.
Three-Phase Rollout
The policy is introduced in stages:
- Phase 1 — September 2025: Children aged 4 to 6 years - Phase 2 — April 2026: Children aged 3 to 4 years - Phase 3 (date to be confirmed): Children from birth to 3 years
Phase 1 will be evaluated over two years before subsequent phases are formally scheduled.
What Schools Must Do
All private schools and nurseries in Dubai — including UK, US, Indian, and IB curriculum institutions — must comply. Under the new rules, schools are required to:
- Offer Arabic classes for both native and non-native speakers - Employ qualified Arabic teachers - Ensure an Arabic teacher is present for at least one-third of each child's daily learning time - Complete staff qualification requirements within three years of implementation - Select from one of five approved language models (ranging from Arabic as the primary instruction language to a fully multilingual model)
Arabic teachers must also complete a minimum of 20 hours of annual professional development focused on language acquisition and play-based learning strategies.
Why It Matters
Fatma Belrehif, CEO of KHDA's Education Quality Assurance Agency, said: "Arabic is at the heart of the UAE's cultural identity, and it is essential that we instil a love for the language in all our children from the earliest stages of their education."
The initiative aims to "make learning Arabic an enjoyable experience, promote bilingualism, and enhance cognitive and cultural development" through structured early education. KHDA will also provide parents with support resources to reinforce Arabic learning at home.
A standardised end-of-phase assessment will track sector-wide progress, though it will not evaluate individual student performance.
Grade 1–12 Requirements Also Updated
Alongside the early-years mandate, KHDA has updated requirements for national mandatory subjects in Grades 1 to 12. Subjects including Arabic Islamic Education, Social Studies, and Moral Education will follow the updated curriculum from September 2025 for September-intake schools, and from April 2026 for schools on an April academic calendar.
