Private schools in Dubai will operate on a shortened school day during Ramadan, with lessons capped at a maximum of five hours, under new guidance issued by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

The authority said the adjusted schedule is designed to respect the spirit of the holy month while ensuring continuity in learning and reducing pressure on both students and teachers.

Fasting students excused from PE classes

As part of the guidance, KHDA said fasting students should be excused from physical education classes throughout Ramadan, citing health and safety considerations.

Schools are expected to provide suitable alternative learning activities for students who are exempted from PE lessons during this period.

Earlier finish on Fridays

KHDA also confirmed that on Fridays, private schools must end the school day no later than 11.30am, allowing students and staff sufficient time to attend Friday prayers.

Parents’ input encouraged

In a move aimed at strengthening collaboration between schools and families, KHDA urged private schools to consider parents’ views when setting daily start and finish times during Ramadan. The authority said this approach supports flexible learning arrangements and helps families better manage daily routines during the holy month.

Supporting a balanced school environment

KHDA said the measures are intended to create a supportive and inclusive educational environment that reflects the social, health and religious values observed in the UAE during Ramadan.

Dubai is taking a new step in how people can invest in property, and it doesn’t require buying an entire apartment or villa.

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has launched Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenisation Project, which allows property tokens to be resold in a controlled secondary market starting February 20. In simple terms, this means Dubai is testing how digital ownership shares in real estate can be bought and sold under official regulation.

What is “real estate tokenisation”?

Think of a property as a pizza. Instead of one person buying the whole pizza, tokenisation allows it to be cut into many digital slices. Each slice, called a token, represents a small ownership share in that property.

These tokens are recorded digitally and linked to official property records. Owners of tokens may benefit from price changes or rental income, depending on how the product is structured.

What’s new in Phase II?

Earlier this year, Dubai ran a pilot phase to test whether property tokenisation could work legally and technically.

Phase II is different because:

• Tokens can now be resold in a secondary market
• Real trading activity is being tested
• Regulators are watching closely to ensure fairness and safety

About 7.8 million tokens will be available in this phase, but only through approved platforms and under strict rules.

Why is Dubai doing this?

The goal is to:

• Make property investment more accessible
• Attract new types of investors
• Improve transparency and efficiency
• Test innovation without risking the wider market

Dubai wants to modernise real estate — but in a careful, regulated way.

Is this crypto or risky trading?

Not in the usual sense.

While tokens are digital, this project:

• Is overseen by the Dubai Land Department
• Is regulated with support from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)
• Operates within existing property laws

This is not an open crypto marketplace. It’s a controlled government-backed test.

Can anyone invest right now?

Not everyone, and that’s intentional.

This phase is limited and focused on testing. Authorities are collecting data on:

• Pricing
• Demand
• Liquidity
• Investor behaviour

Future expansion will depend on how well this phase performs.

What should first-time investors keep in mind?

If you’re curious but new to property investing:

• This is not a get-rich-quick scheme
• It’s a long-term experiment
• Rules may evolve as regulators learn from real use

Dubai has been clear: expansion will be based on data, not hype.

Why this matters long-term

If successful, tokenisation could:

• Lower entry barriers to property investment
• Allow people to invest smaller amounts
• Increase market transparency
• Strengthen Dubai’s position as a global real estate hub

For now, it’s best seen as a carefully supervised trial, not a finished product.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a new bridge at the busy Al Qudra Road intersection, reducing journey times by more than 50 per cent and almost tripling traffic capacity along one of the city’s fastest-growing corridors.

The 600-metre bridge, which links Al Qudra Road with the route between Arabian Ranches and Dubai Studio City, carries four lanes in each direction and forms part of a wider road upgrade serving around 400,000 residents and visitors.

Major boost to traffic capacity

According to the RTA, the project has increased traffic capacity at the junction by 191 per cent, from 6,600 vehicles per hour to 19,200, while cutting average waiting times by more than half.

A second bridge at the nearby intersection with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street is set to partially open on February 15, helping traffic move more smoothly towards Al Qudra City and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Travel time cut to under 3 minutes

Speaking after the opening, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA, said the upgrades would reduce overall travel time along Al Qudra Road from 9.4 minutes to under three minutes.

He added that the project supports Dubai’s rapid urban expansion by improving mobility and easing congestion across several residential areas, including:

• Arabian Ranches
• Dubai Motor City
• Dubai Studio City
• DAMAC Hills
• Mudon
• The Sustainable City

Key corridor for Dubai’s growing communities

Al Qudra Road is a major east–west transport corridor, connecting Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road with Emirates Road. The wider project includes 11.6 kilometres of road upgrades, new bridges and improved intersections aimed at enhancing traffic flow and road safety.

Further works are continuing along the corridor, including additional bridges, service roads and lane expansions to support ongoing residential development and future population growth in the area.