February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

The UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) is the federal government ministry responsible for overseeing the national education system from early childhood through higher education. The ministry sets curriculum standards, licenses schools and universities, administers national assessments, and implements education policy aligned with the UAE’s national development strategy. Following a 2017 merger with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, MOE now holds unified authority over the entire education continuum.

UAE Context

The UAE’s education sector encompasses a diverse mix of public schools following the national curriculum, private schools offering international curricula (British, American, IB, Indian, and others), and a growing higher education sector that includes both federal universities and international branch campuses. The MOE regulates public schools directly and sets licensing and quality standards for private institutions. Abu Dhabi and Dubai operate their own education regulators (ADEK and KHDA respectively) that complement the federal ministry’s mandate at the emirate level.

Key Data

  • Scope: Early childhood, K-12, higher education, vocational training
  • Public schools: National curriculum taught in Arabic with emphasis on bilingual proficiency
  • Private schools: Over 600 schools across multiple international curricula
  • Federal universities: UAE University, Zayed University, Higher Colleges of Technology
  • Emirate regulators: ADEK (Abu Dhabi), KHDA (Dubai)
  • Digital platforms: Al Manhal, LMS systems integrated with national education infrastructure

Significance for Vision 2031

Education is a foundational pillar of Vision 2031, which prioritizes developing a knowledge-based economy powered by a skilled national workforce. The MOE’s efforts to modernize curricula with STEM focus, coding, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship education directly support Emiratisation goals and economic diversification. Investment in higher education quality and research output aims to reduce the skills gap and position the UAE as a regional knowledge hub.

  • EdTech - Technology sector transforming UAE education delivery
  • Emiratisation - Workforce policy dependent on education quality
  • Dubai Knowledge Park - Free zone hosting education-sector companies
  • Nafis - Employment support program linked to educational outcomes