Overview
The United Arab Emirates (shortened to the UAE; Arabic: اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) or simply referred to as the Emirates (Arabic: الِْإمَارَات al-ʾImārāt) is a country in Western Asia. The country is located in a strategic position at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the west. It shares maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with both Qatar and Iran. Dubai (often mistaken as the capital) has developed quickly over the past 50 years and is the most populous city in the UAE. It has established itself as an international hub and luxury holiday destination and is ranked in the top 10 list of the safest cities in the world. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and enjoys a more relaxed atmosphere whilst regularly topping the world rankings as the safest city in the world. It is also a holiday destination with a large international airport and is formed as a series of islands giving a distinct contrast when compared to the topography of Dubai which has developed mainly along the coastline.
The United Arab Emirates exists as an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates which still retain their own distinctive characteristics. The seven emirates consist of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Each emirate is governed by an emir and together the emirs form the Federal Supreme Council. The members of the Federal Supreme Council elect a president and vice president from among their members. In practice, this means that the emir of Abu Dhabi serves as president while the ruler of Dubai is vice president and also serves as prime minister. In 2023, the population of the country is estimated at 10.2 million, of which 1.2 million are Emirati citizens and 9 million are expatriates from around 200 countries. The population of Dubai in 2023 is estimated to be 3.55 million. Across the Emirates, the gender balance is in favor of the male population representing almost 70% of the overall population, which is a direct consequence of the large expat population. Almost 65% of the total population fall into the 25-54 years age range.
In 2023, the most populous emirate continues to be Dubai (3.55 million). By comparison, the next most populous emirate is Sharjah (1.9 million) followed by Abu Dhabi (1.6 million). In terms of landmass, the emirate of Abu Dhabi occupies over 85% of the overall country landmass (sharing all of its border with Saudi Arabia) whereas the emirate of Dubai, which although the most populous, occupies only 5% of the total landmass.
Education
The education system in the UAE is split into two distinct systems which reflect the composition of the population. Emirati education is provided to all Emiratis free of charge with instruction in Arabic and is controlled by the Ministry of Education, which is part of the federal government meaning that its jurisdiction covers all seven emirates. For expats, education is not provided free of charge which has resulted in a rapid growth of the “private” education sector across the country. Whilst the main instruction is focused on delivery in English, there are examples of schools which specifically cater for certain languages and groups in the expat community. The quality and cost of private schools vary considerably although the top ranked (English instruction) international schools often attract learners from the local Emirati population for those who are willing to pay and who desire a more international education for their children.
As with any modern education system, all aspects are catered for, including early years, pre-school, primary, secondary, further education and tertiary/higher education. In recent years, there has been a focus on the development of the vocational education system and the rationalization of the higher education sector across the country. Perhaps inevitably, both the vocational and higher education provision is more focused around the more populous and politically important areas of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It should also be remembered that the education system in the UAE is only some 60 years old which means that in comparison to many older and more established systems across the world, the UAE system is in its infancy.
The UAE has a strong interest in supporting, improving and developing its education system and often looks to emulate other countries around the world which have set a benchmark in a particular area. This has resulted in periods of constant change with varying degrees of success in making meaningful improvements. This is more challenging in the school sector where the international provision is substantial and high in number making it more difficult to inspect and control. Generally, public schools which serve the local Emirati population are rated adequate (or poor) although in recent times there has been more investment made to develop and improve this aspect of the education system. Depending on the international source of the private education, the experience and qualifications which can be gained tend to be skewed towards the home market of the provider.
When it comes to school provision, approximately 90% of the provision across the UAE is privately provided, reflecting the large expat population and their educational needs. Pre-school or nursery education is mainly provided on a paid-for basis and has many options. Primary school education is mandatory and most private schools will offer both primary and secondary education on the same premises offering continuity to learners. The secondary school curriculum in private schools is usually dictated by the home country of the company which owns the school, but it still needs to be licensed and operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education which ensures that national policies and standards are adhered to, particularly when it comes to learner time spent in school, observance of cultural requirements and in relation to holidays.
Some private schools also have provision which mirrors the English sixth form system of two school years for 16-18 year olds. Many of the American international schools also include 11th and 12th grades as part of their normal offering.
Many secondary schools focus on offering International Baccalaureate Programs in addition to qualifications that are based on their home provision.
In the further education/vocational sector, there has been a concerted effort in recent years to raise the profile of the area with a renewed focus on the importance of meaningful practical experience and the introduction of other initiatives such as apprenticeship programs.
Vocational qualifications are mainly delivered by private training providers or further education colleges which are typically government owned/controlled. Regardless of status, all providers who wish to deliver vocational education require accreditation by the National Qualifications Centre (NQC) which operates at a federal level as part of the Ministry of Education. The NQC holds a substantial database of vocational qualifications already approved for delivery by accredited providers. It is also possible for accredited providers to develop their own qualifications that can then be recognized. Additionally, many private training providers seek to deliver other international vocational training and qualifications once they have obtained the necessary accreditation.
The university sector is fairly saturated for such a small country with many well-known, international “brands” taking the opportunity to open satellite operations in the UAE and capitalize on their international reputation and tap into a new income stream. All universities are required to be licensed/accredited and are inspected, rated, and controlled by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which is part of the Ministry of Education (therefore operating at a federal level) and staffed by Commissioners, most of whom have international standing in the sector and who hold specific academic and subject expertise. As such, the CAA holds a high degree of power over the higher education sector. In recent world rankings, only 4 universities located in the UAE entered the top 1000: Khalifa University of Science and Technology, UAE University, University of Sharjah and New York University of Abu Dhabi. The UAE currently hosts 5 public universities and more than 100 private universities in total across the seven emirates. In recent years, considering the large and increasing number of universities, there has been an effort by the federal government to exert more control over the quality of institutions holding this status. It should also be noted that, at the time of writing, not all universities operating in the UAE have been accredited by the CAA and may only hold accreditation in their home country. There has been a move to require CAA accreditation for all universities leading to the closure of some universities where this has not been awarded. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that universities recognized in their own country can still continue to operate. For evaluation purposes, qualifications awarded by lesser-known universities will require close scrutiny, and the current and past standing of the institution will need to be taken into consideration.
The UAE operates a 10 level national qualifications framework based on the approaches and frameworks of more established systems. It aims to capture 5 strands within each level of the framework and adopts an approach that defines aspects of competence in addition to describing knowledge and skills/performance. Recognition of prior learning continues to be an area that is actively explored, although its understanding and consistent application is not widespread.