Dubai's private schools delivered a standout performance in the PISA 2022 assessments, ranking second globally in financial literacy and sixth in creative thinking — in the very first year the emirate participated in those two domains.
Dubai Private Schools Rank 2nd in PISA 2022 Financial Literacy
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), tests how well 15-year-olds apply reading, mathematics, and science skills to real-world problems. In 2022, Dubai extended its participation to include financial literacy and creative thinking for the first time.
In financial literacy — which measures students' ability to manage money across different areas of their lives — Dubai's private schools scored 522 points, comfortably above the OECD global average of 498. That placed the emirate second out of 20 participating countries and economies.
Of the 4,478 Dubai students who sat the financial literacy assessment, 82% said they knew how to manage their money, while 79% reported having personal savings goals.
6th Globally in Creative Thinking
Dubai's private schools also earned recognition for creative thinking, scoring 36 points against an OECD average of 33 — placing sixth out of 64 participating countries and economies.
Among the 7,474 students assessed, 84% demonstrated at least one developed creative thinking skill at or above the OECD baseline. A further 74% said they felt confident coming up with original ideas for school projects.
What Officials Said
Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), called the results proof of Dubai's standing as a hub for quality education. "These results validate Dubai's value as a hub for quality education that prepares children for a future that is increasingly uncertain and constantly evolving," she said, also thanking school leaders, teachers, parents, and students for the achievement.
Fatma Belrehif, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, highlighted a key pattern in the data: schools that performed strongly in creative thinking also recorded impressive results in mathematics, reading, and science. "These results are helpful for educational policymakers to establish strategies of providing future skills for learners," she added.
Strong Across All PISA 2022 Domains
Dubai's private schools performed above the OECD average across every domain assessed in PISA 2022:
- Mathematics: 9th globally, scoring 497 points — 25 points above the OECD average - Reading: 13th globally, scoring 498 points - Science: 14th globally, scoring 503 points
The breadth of those rankings underscores that Dubai's educational strengths extend well beyond a single subject area.
