CBSE schools in UAE, GCC to follow new global curriculum from April 2026

Dubai: In a historic move, India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced plans to launch CBSE Global Curriculum from April 2026, which will be implemented across all CBSE-affiliated schools in the UAE and other foreign countries.

The announcement came during the first international and 31st annual conference of Sahodaya School Complexes which began in Dubai on Monday, marking a significant milestone in CBSE's journey towards becoming a truly global board.

More than 800 CBSE school leaders and educationists from India and the Gulf region attended the two-day event themed "Rooted in Wisdom, Rising with Vision – Reimagining Education through NEP 2020."

Senior regulators and officials from the GCC Ministries of Education, including Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE –represented by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) – held constructive discussions with senior functionaries from CBSE, the Government of India, and the Consul General of India in Dubai on the forthcoming curriculum.

Background to global plans

In September this year, Gulf News had first reported CBSE's plan to launch an international school in the UAE when Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the board was planning to commission an international board during a press conference at the Indian Consulate in Dubai. At the time, Pradhan said schools following that curriculum would open globally, including in the UAE.

CBSE has now clarified that the new curriculum would be called the CBSE Global Curriculum.

Speaking to Gulf News on Tuesday, Dr Ram Shankar, director of CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence in Dubai, clarified that the new curriculum is currently at the draft stage.

"We will have more discussions with the stakeholders for finalising the curriculum and it is likely to be rolled out next academic year," said Dr Ram, who overseas all foreign schools affiliated to CBSE.

There are 106 CBSE schools in the UAE, making it the largest CBSE school network outside India.

Regulators welcome initiative

The GCC education regulators welcomed the initiative and agreed to explore collaboration on curriculum contextualisation, teacher training, and vocational and technical education. They also discussed teacher qualification standards, equivalence benchmarks, and global recognition of CBSE certificates.

The regulators appreciated the board's commitment to maintaining a balance between academic rigour and affordability and expressed full support for the Global Curriculum. They also commended CBSE schools in the Gulf region for their strong compliance, quality, and student performance, a press release said.