The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has confirmed that private school fees across Dubai will remain unchanged for the 2026–27 academic year following a leadership directive aimed at supporting families and maintaining stability in the education sector.

The decision was issued under the guidance of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and comes as part of wider measures designed to strengthen Dubai’s private education system while easing financial pressure on parents.

The announcement follows approval of Dubai’s second economic incentives package worth Dh1.5 billion, bringing the total value of recent support measures introduced across the emirate to Dh2.5 billion.

Financial support for schools and nurseries

As part of the latest package, private schools regulated by KHDA will receive several forms of operational support, including deferred licence renewal fees and delayed payment of fines.

Early childhood centres will also benefit from exemptions on licence renewal fees, fines and Dubai Municipality market fees.

Additional support from Knowledge Fund Establishment will include partial rent exemptions and extended rent-free periods for centres currently under development.

Authorities said the measures are intended to help education providers maintain operational stability while ensuring families continue to have access to affordable learning options.

Stability for families

Officials said the fee freeze and support measures aim to balance the needs of both families and education providers while reinforcing long-term confidence in Dubai’s education system.

Additional measures announced include temporary freezes on rent increases, deferred rental payments and suspension of certain contractual penalties for education institutions

Parking around schools in Dubai could soon become far less stressful after the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) signed a major new partnership with Parkin Company PJSC to simplify parking subscriptions across the emirate.

The new collaboration introduces a digitally integrated system designed to make parking applications faster, smoother, and more convenient for students, teachers, and educational staff.

Goodbye paperwork, hello instant verification

Until now, applicants had to rely on:

• Manual approvals from schools
• Document submissions
• Eligibility checks handled separately

Under the new system, KHDA and Parkin will integrate their platforms to allow real-time eligibility verification, dramatically reducing administrative steps while maintaining strict data privacy standards.

Parking discounts of up to 80%

The initiative also includes heavily discounted parking packages for educational institutions and students:

• Dh100 per month
• Dh1,000 annually

According to Parkin, this represents savings of up to 80% compared to standard parking subscriptions.

Support beyond just parking

The company said the partnership also strengthens support around schools during:

• Peak pick-up and drop-off times
• School events
• High-traffic periods

For parents, teachers, and students navigating Dubai’s busy school zones, the latest move could mean one thing: less paperwork, smoother parking, and fewer daily headaches.

Thousands of parents across the UAE may finally have reason to relax after major clarifications to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) three-language framework eased fears of extra academic pressure on students.

The revised policy, set to take effect in the 2026–27 academic year, initially sparked concern among educators and families about how students in Grades 9 and 10 would meet the new language requirements.

What’s changing?

Under the updated structure, students entering Grade 9 from July 2026 will study three languages classified as:

• R1
• R2
• R3

The move is part of reforms linked to India’s National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

Why UAE schools feel relieved

According to UAE-based educators, CBSE has allowed overseas schools greater flexibility in implementing the system.

• R1 can be English
• R2 can be Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, or Tamil
• R3 can be Arabic for UAE students
  

Importantly, R3 will not be board-examined, reducing stress for students. Only R1 and R2 will count toward Grade 10 board evaluations, while R3 will appear through internal assessment.

Earlier concerns had parents worried

One of the biggest fears was that students, especially non-Indian nationals studying in CBSE schools, might be forced to learn two Indian languages.

The recent clarifications have eased those concerns significantly, particularly for international schools and students of determination.

While schools say Arabic at R3 is manageable, some institutions are still worried about foreign-language offerings like French.

Full refund after re-evaluation

Meanwhile, in a major relief for thousands of Indian curriculum students across the UAE, CBSE has announced that Grade 12 students will receive a full refund if their marks increase after re-evaluation. The move comes as a student-friendly response following a wave of concerns shared by students on social media, many of whom felt their initial grades were lower than expected due to the board’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.