Dubai has announced a major new AI literacy programme for private schools that will reach approximately 80,500 students across the emirate — one of the most ambitious school-level AI education initiatives in the region.
The announcement was made at the World Governments Summit 2026, held under the theme Shaping Future Governments, which concluded on 5 February.
A Partnership Between KHDA, DP World Foundation and MIT RAISE
The multi-year initiative is a collaboration between the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), DP World Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (MIT RAISE). The programme runs until February 2030 and is designed to build foundational and responsible AI understanding among students, while equipping teachers with professional development and classroom-ready tools.
AI Learning Across Six Core Subjects
The Dubai AI literacy programme targets students in Grades 6 to 8 (Years 7 to 9), integrating AI concepts across six subjects: Mathematics, Science, Computing, Art, English and Arabic. Around 3,600 teachers are expected to support the rollout through a phased approach.
Lessons will cover how AI systems work, how to evaluate AI-generated outputs, and how to use AI tools responsibly in everyday classroom activities. Teachers will receive implementation guidance and access to a curated portal of learning-appropriate AI tools, with a strong emphasis on age-appropriate access and responsible practice.
Phased Rollout Across Dubai Private Schools
In the first phase, programme partners will co-design the curriculum with educators from selected schools, ensuring classroom experience shapes the approach. This will be followed by pilot lessons and teacher training, ahead of a broader rollout across Dubai's private school network.
Two-Track Programme Structure
The initiative includes two key components. The first is AI Literacy for Dubai Private Schools — a cross-subject programme for Grades 6 to 8 covering curriculum materials, teacher training and student assessments.
The second component, AI Enrichment for High School Students, is adapted from MIT's Future Makers and Future Builders model. This hybrid programme runs during school breaks and includes four weeks of online learning followed by one week of in-person sessions. Students take part in mentorship, team-based capstone projects and entrepreneurial-style pitch presentations. Each session will serve between 40 and 100 students and will include completion certificates and formative evaluations.
What Dubai's Leaders Said
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said the initiative reflects the growing importance of AI skills in every sector. He noted that Dubai's long-term competitiveness depends on equipping young people with the ability to understand, question and use AI responsibly, while also empowering teachers to integrate AI learning into everyday lessons.
Aisha Miran, Director General of KHDA, said the collaboration supports Dubai's Education 33 strategy and the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), both of which place future-ready skills, innovation and talent development at the centre of economic growth. She added that embedding AI literacy into daily learning will help students think critically and act responsibly in a fast-evolving economy, while giving teachers the confidence to lead learning in an AI-enabled world.
Professor Cynthia Breazeal, Director of MIT RAISE, said the programme builds on MIT's global experience in expanding access to AI literacy and adapts it to Dubai's educational context, supporting responsible practice and building local capacity.
