UAE’s GEMS Education recruits 1,700 new teachers as group enters ‘turning point’

Dubai: UAE-based school group GEMS Education announced on Wednesday that it has recruited more than 1,700 new teachers from a diverse range of countries for the 2025-26 school year. The school group unveiled the recruitment numbers during its annual induction programme for teachers, GEMS Awareness Day.

GEMS Education chairman and founder Sunny Varkey described the start of the academic year as “not just a new chapter, but a turning point” in the history of education. Reflecting on the group’s six-and-a-half decades of operation, Varkey underscored the importance of the human element in teaching, stating that no machine or line of code could replace a teacher’s warmth and encouragement. He added that while technology and artificial intelligence would transform how children learn, the human connection remains irreplaceable.

Varkey told audiences that the group was “re-imagining education for a new generation”, reaffirming his belief that family must always come first. He highlighted several GEMS initiatives aimed at nurturing student character, well-being, and lifelong habits for success.

According to GEMS, the group receives over 600,000 applications annually for approximately 2,000 vacancies. The group also noted exceptional staff retention rates, which it said are among the highest in the sector.