Students face tighter appearance and food rules as schools warn that banned items could be confiscated, recorded and punished under conduct policies, according to local media reports.

The new school year has barely got into its second week,  but some UAE students are already discovering that the rules are getting serious.

The UAE Ministry of Education’s 2026–27 public-school uniform guide requires approved uniforms and says hair should be styled appropriately according to local customs and remain its natural colour

Several public and private schools have now stepped up checks on student appearance, behaviour and food, introducing tougher controls covering everything from hairstyles and hoodies to what youngsters can bring in their lunch bags.

Among the biggest no-go items are qaza-style haircuts, long hair for male students, hoodies worn inside school premises, energy drinks, fizzy drinks, tea, coffee and chips.

And schools are warning that ignoring the rules could have consequences.

Haircuts under the microscope

Students sporting a qaza haircut, in which part of the head is shaved while another section is deliberately left long, have been put on notice.

Long hairstyles for male students are also among the appearance rules being enforced.

Schools say the measures are designed to promote a consistent appearance and discourage behaviour they believe conflicts with educational and social values.

The message to students is clear: what might pass as a trendy look outside the school gates may not make the cut once they walk into school.

Hoodies? Not inside school

The crackdown doesn’t stop at hair.

Schools have also prohibited students from wearing hoodies inside school premises, with the appearance requirements applying from the moment students enter through the gates.

Parents and students have been informed through circulars and official communications outlining the restrictions.

Your lunchbox could also land you in trouble

It isn’t just what’s on students’ heads that’s being scrutinised.

Schools are also tightening controls over what youngsters bring through the gates.

Tea, coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks and chips of all types have been listed among the prohibited food and beverages.

And there’s an important detail: students don’t necessarily escape a violation simply because they haven’t consumed the item.

Schools have warned that having a prohibited food or drink in a student’s possession can itself trigger action.

The item may be confiscated, the incident officially recorded and the school’s conduct code applied, potentially including deductions to the student’s conduct grade.

Students are instead being encouraged to rely on the nutrition and food options supplied by the school’s approved canteen service.

Schools say it’s about more than looks

School administrations say the tighter rules are not simply about policing fashion or deciding what ends up in a lunch bag.

They argue that appearance, conduct and nutrition are part of creating a structured educational environment and reinforcing respect for teachers, classmates and the wider school community.

The schools have also connected the measures to the qualities they want to develop in Emirati students, including national pride, responsibility, discipline, respect, academic ambition and a commitment to excellence and creativity.

In their view, a smart and appropriate appearance is not merely about looking the part. It is intended to reflect a student’s attitude towards themselves, their teachers and fellow students.

The new school-year message

With the academic year now gathering pace, students and parents are being urged to pay close attention to individual school circulars and requirements.

For pupils, that could mean checking the hairstyle before leaving home, leaving the hoodie behind and thinking twice before slipping a can of fizzy drink or a packet of chips into the school bag.

Because this year, UAE schools appear to be taking the message very seriously: school rules start at the gate, and they don’t end with the uniform.

The International League T20 Management has appointed Mike Fordham as Interim Chief Operating Officer. Fordham has been the league’s Head of Operations since the inception of the tournament – 2022.

Fordham has taken over the role with immediate effect and will spearhead the execution of DP World ILT20 Season 5, which will be played in November-December this year. In a career spanning two decades, Fordham has accumulated rich experience – specialising in sporting, governance and commercial set-up of new leagues, competitions and franchises.

Interim Chief Operating Officer DP World ILT20 Mike Fordham: “It is a real honour to have been given the task to spearhead the DP World ILT20 Season 5 execution. The DP World ILT20 has grown into one of the top T20 tournaments. The league is known for top-class cricketing action at three world-class venues.

“This year’s edition will be bigger and better. We are all excited about the upcoming DP World ILT20 Development Tournament – an incredible platform for young UAE players to make a claim for the main event later in the year. Some of the biggest T20 stars have signed up for the DP World ILT20 Player Auction which further exemplifies the league’s stature and reputation as a competition that attracts the very best in the business.”

Some leading Dubai brokerages are charging buyers for in-house conveyancing or sales-progression services while also holding the sales mandate for the property being purchased.

The practice raises a broader question about how transaction roles should be structured: when a brokerage represents the seller and also provides the service responsible for progressing the buyer’s purchase, should the buyer be required to pay for that service?

The arrangement is visible across brokerage websites, while LinkedIn and Instagram profiles show sales-progression and conveyancing teams operating within some agencies.

The issue is not necessarily the competence of an in-house conveyancer. The more fundamental question is one of independence. A buyer paying for a transfer service may reasonably expect that the person handling the transaction is able to act without commercial considerations connected to the other side.

Consider a seller who has multiple properties listed with the same brokerage, or one who is selling a current home while planning to purchase another property through the same agency. In such cases, the brokerage may have a broader commercial relationship with the seller than with a buyer completing a single transaction.

That distinction can become important when a seller-side issue delays or complicates a transfer. The person responsible for resolving the bottleneck should be able to communicate the problem to the buyer clearly and objectively, without having to balance that responsibility against a wider commercial relationship.

There are parallels in other parts of the financial and property sectors. Banks, for example, commonly appoint independent valuers rather than relying on a valuation conducted by a party whose commercial interests are directly tied to the transaction. The separation of roles is intended to reduce potential conflicts and strengthen confidence in the process.

“The real test of a transfer service comes when the interests on each side stop aligning,” said Jan Baluyut, Director, Property Affairs at Cendale, which operates Conveyance.ae. “An independent transfer provider has no sales mandate to protect, no listing relationship to preserve and no sales commission dependent on completion. That is the procedural oversight buyers pay for.”

Functional separation is also well established internationally. In the UK, buyers and sellers commonly instruct separate solicitors, while in the US, attorneys, title companies and escrow providers can perform distinct roles depending on the state. Dubai does not need to replicate either system, but both demonstrate that transaction roles can be separated to provide greater clarity around responsibilities.

The question is relevant across both ready properties and secondary off-plan transactions. While the mechanics of each transaction can differ, the buyer’s need for accurate information, clear communication and independent oversight remains the same.

Where a brokerage offers an in-house conveyancing or sales-progression service, buyers should be clearly informed about the arrangement, including whether the service is optional and whether they are free to appoint an independent provider.

As Dubai’s property market continues to expand and attract investors from around the world, greater transparency around who represents whom — and who is paying whom — could become an increasingly important part of a mature transaction process.