Dubai to introduce Arabic for preschoolers: What parents of young children need to know

Dubai: Starting from September 2025, children aged four to six in Dubai will be required to learn Arabic in private schools and early childhood centers.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced on Friday, February 21, a new policy requiring all private schools and early childhood centres (ECCs) in Dubai to introduce Arabic for children from birth to six years old. This initiative mainly targets nurseries, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.

According to KHDA, the policy aims to make learning Arabic an enjoyable experience, promote bilingualism, and enhance cognitive and cultural development through a strong early education program. The policy will be phased in, beginning with children aged four to six in 2025, and will gradually extend to all children from birth to six years old in subsequent years.

KHDA has provided specific guidelines for both Arabic and non-Arabic-speaking families on the curriculum and its implementation across private schools and  early childhood centres Dubai.

Which educational institutions are covered?

This policy applies to all institutions licensed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) that provide early childhood care and education for children from birth to six years old. This includes private schools and early childhood centres in Dubai.

The implementation of Arabic language provision will be introduced in three phases:

• Phase 1: Children aged for to six years

• Phase 2: Children aged three to four years

• Phase 3: Children from birth to three years

When will this come into effect?

The policy will be rolled out in stages, beginning with Phase 1 in September 2025 (April 2026 for schools following the April-to-March academic calendar). This phase will cover children aged four to six years, aligning with pre-primary education.

• Phase 1 will be evaluated after two years.

• Based on the results, the timeline and additional requirements for the next phases will be determined and announced.

How will Arabic be integrated into early childhood education?

Early childhood centres must clearly communicate their chosen language models to parents via their official communication channels and Parent-School or Parent-ECC Contracts. Institutions will select from the following models:

• Arabic as the primary language of instruction

• Arabic-based bilingual model

• English-based bilingual model

• English-based multilingual model

• Multilingual model

Curriculum requirements

KHDA will set curriculum standards that all institutions must follow. These guidelines will:

• Outline clear expectations for native and non-native Arabic speakers.

• Provide effective teaching strategies tailored to different language models.

• Promote a holistic, play-based, and inquiry-driven approach to Arabic language learning.

Each nursery and early childhood centre will adapt the Arabic curriculum to align with:

• Its existing educational framework.

• The demographics of its students.

• Parental preferences.

Standardised assessment

A standardised end-of-phase assessment will be introduced to track sector-wide progress. This assessment is designed to monitor overall improvements, not to evaluate individual children. The results will help adjust policies as needed.

Teachers, training, and qualifications

All early childhood institutions catering to children aged four to six years must:

• Hire qualified Arabic teachers based on their chosen language model.

• Ensure that at least one-third of instructional time involves an Arabic teacher who engages children in daily activities (including student-led, whole-group, and small-group teacher-led sessions).

Teacher training requirements

• Arabic teachers must complete at least 20 hours of professional development annually.

• Training will focus on language acquisition, play-based learning, and inquiry-driven approaches.

• Schools and centres must follow KHDA’s teacher qualification and experience requirements when hiring Arabic teachers.