Education is the flagship sector of the new strategy that has been unveiled by the Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) known as Education 33 that seeks to see the emirate among the top global ten best learning cities by the year 2033. Launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it speaks about the overall vision for education development in the emirate till 2021, saying that by that time Dubai should provide 49 thousand new affordable school places, become a ten-time attraction for educational tourism, and attract at least several prestigious universities.
The Director General of KHDA, Aisha Miran, reiterated that Education 33 draws from values that have been oriented towards Emirati culture but it does this bearing in mind the cosmopolitan nature of Dubai. Its goal is to prepare future generations for what they should be and for the world that they are likely to face in the future. Personalised education, students for a lifetime, and education for the world are the other strategies because every learner deserves quality education.
The strategy aligns with Dubai’s broader economic and social agendas, focusing on five strategic goals: enabling Emirati students, affordable education, continuing education, positioning Dubai as an educational hub, and to support research and development. Education 33 amounts to $28m for “Game Changer” projects, for instance, making Arabic a preferred language and raising the bar in vocational education. In transforming the system, Dubai is targeting to set itself as a center of education by 2033 and this will attract global attention and investment.
