2. EDUCATION LANDSCAPE OF
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The basics
Literacy System
- Education Index – 0.83 (Rank – 107 | IND -147 | CH -
98)
- 1200 Schools and 52* Universities
- 15 different curriculums (UK being the most famous)
- Public Education is free for citizens
- High cost of education (Avg – $6K/yr | Top – $26K/yr)
- Private schools rake in $1Bn in tuition fees
- High student diversity – and the system supports &
encourages that
Profile Student Diversity
# Students enrolled at each stage (2011)
3. EDUCATION LANDSCAPE OF
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
5 unique things
to note
1. Diversity of Curriculum
The stand-out feature in the UAE education landscape is the diversity of curriculum. UK curriculum is the
most adopted, followed by the US curriculum. The Indian Curriculum stands third.
2. Students fly out of UAE after high school
Graduate Education Ecosystem is still developing with current focus being on Commerce/Business
degrees and not on Engineering/Medicine degrees.
3. Education is a national investment in UAE
The UAE government truly invests in Education. 23% of the budget is set apart for Education. KHDA, ADEC
and MoE are all government-aided organizations that facilitate creation of a better educational
infrastructure.
4. Free Zones
FreeZones are purpose-built environments that offer alternative licensing provisions. 60% of the nation’s
universities lie inside the FreeZones. These FreeZones have allowed for foreign universities and schools to
easily set-up shop in UAE.
5. Focus on adult education centers
78 (none of which are co-ed!) adult education centers cater to 14500 adults with
foundational, preparatory and secondary schooling.
4. EDUCATION LANDSCAPE OF
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
5 things that
matter to MOOCs
+ Internet and Smart-phone Penetration
75% Internet penetration and 61% smart phone penetration(Highest in the world!). Also, 54% usage of
online streaming services. 63% of content downloaded are – Music, Games and Videos.
+ Spending on Education
23% of the budget is allocated for education and also average cost of education is high.
- Pupil-Teacher Ratio & Classroom Density
UAE has an excellent PTR of 10:1 (as compared to 32:1 in India) & Number of students/Classroom is at 24.
~ Penetration of Distance Learning and Coaching Classes*
Distance education options are limited in the UAE. Coaching classes are developing mainly catering to
Medical & Engineering entrances.
+ Focus on Technology in Education
UAE is very pro-active in using Technology as a vehicle for education. UAE government was the first in the
world to roll-out the iPad initiative.
6. NationalsNonNationalsSUBJECT
43064898Hum & Social Sciences
307198Sciences
54685Education
944112124Business & Economics
71753143Sharia & Law
11595304Medicine & Health Sciences
40237782Engineering
18171569Information Technology
6161046Basic Education
3841185Arts
1317976Others
3059938910Total
1. Business and Economics is the
most preferred line of study (31%
students opt in)
Verbatim from UAE student: “UAE delivers
more B.Com, management and sales students
than engineers. You will see students selecting
commerce out of interest rather than working
very hard to survive in science. ”
Preferred Choices in Higher Education
2. Nationals prefer „Sharia & Law‟
education to „Engineering‟.
3. Medicine and Health Sciences
does not appeal to the Nationals as
much as it appeals to Non-
nationals.
Appendix - Education Landscape of UAE
