26 New Private Education Institutions to Open Across Dubai

A total of 26 new private education institutions will open across Dubai during the 2026–27 academic year, expanding capacity across schools, early childhood education and higher education.

According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the additions will comprise seven schools, 17 early childhood centres and two international higher education institutions.

The seven schools will add 16,846 places for learners across the emirate. Four will offer the UK curriculum, while three will follow the International Baccalaureate.

Among the new campuses are Harrow International School Dubai, Queen Elizabeth’s School Dubai Sports City and Rugby School Dubai.

Early childhood education will gain more than 1,700 additional places through 17 new centres. These will offer programmes including the UK Early Years Foundation Stage, Montessori, Ontario, French and Indian curricula.

Higher education will also expand with an American University of Beirut campus scheduled to open in September 2026. Peking University HSBC Business School will begin offering MBA and EMBA programmes in January 2027.

The new openings follow several years of growth across the private education sector. Over the past three academic years, 21 new schools have opened, while school enrolment has risen by 3.1%.

Across early childhood education, schools and higher education combined, average annual growth reached 4.6% over the same period. A further 87 early childhood centres opened, with enrolment increasing by 2.6%, while the number of teachers in private education rose by 17.5%.

Higher education recorded the strongest enrolment growth, increasing by 29% over three years alongside the opening of 11 new institutions.