ABU DHABI, 23rd October, 2026 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has launched its Emiratisation Policy for Private Education, supported by a major collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (NAFIS), and private education operators SABIS, Taaleem, GEMS Education, International Community Schools, and Liwa Education to expand national talent pathways into teaching across Abu Dhabi.
The initiative aims to expand opportunities to attract and train UAE nationals for teaching positions in Abu Dhabi’s private schools by combining regulatory policies, professional training and career development programmes with educational institutions’ recruitment commitments.
It aims to integrate more than 2,000 UAE nationals into the teaching workforce over the next five years.
These efforts advance ADEK’s priority to build a high-quality education ecosystem led by high-calibre teaching talent, one that equips Abu Dhabi’s youth with advanced future and life skills, while prioritising their wellbeing and strengthening their connection to their roots, heritage and sense of belonging.
At the centre of the announcement is the new Emiratisation Policy for Private Education, which introduces Emirate-level Emiratisation targets specifically for teaching positions in Abu Dhabi private schools.
The policy complements existing federal Emiratisation requirements while establishing a dedicated approach to growing Emirati representation in classrooms and developing educators who reflect the values, expertise and professional standards expected across Abu Dhabi’s education system.
The policy combines clear expectations with practical enablers schools need to deliver against them, including access to screened national talent, funded qualification pathways, practical school-based training and structured routes into employment.
This approach is designed to support sustainable growth in the national teaching workforce while giving schools a clearer framework for implementation.
It is anchored in the Abu Dhabi Educators’ Proficiency Framework, developed by ADEK and the Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE), which defines the values and skills expected of educators across Abu Dhabi.
The framework places UAE National Identity and Cultural Respect; Integrity and Ethical Responsibility; Humility, Respect, Compassion and Community; Excellence and Intellectual Curiosity; Lifelong Learning, Resilience and Innovation; and Collaboration and Collective Responsibility at the heart of the profession.
Building on the agreement signed with Aldar Education in May 2026, which committed to creating more than 300 opportunities for Emirati educators, ADEK is now expanding its collaboration with additional private education operators to create more pathways for UAE nationals to enter the teaching profession across Abu Dhabi.
ADEK has entered into strategic partnerships with SABIS, Taaleem, GEMS Education, International Community Schools and Liwa Education, connecting the new targets directly with employer commitments to train, place and recruit national talent across their schools.
Collectively, the operators have made significant recruitment commitments. Taaleem has committed to recruiting more than 200 Emirati educators, SABIS more than 150, GEMS Education more than 120, International Community Schools more than 77, and Liwa Education more than 61, creating hundreds of new opportunities for UAE nationals.
The drive will initially focus on Social Studies, Arabic, and Islamic Studies roles, with recruitment and integration taking place progressively over the coming five years.
The participating operators will serve as strategic partners in the implementation of the policy, helping establish practical models for recruitment, training and placement.
ADEK will continue to work with all private schools across Abu Dhabi to support implementation, facilitate access to national talent and enable schools to progress toward the new Emiratisation targets.
The collaboration will create additional pathways for UAE nationals into specialised education while strengthening schools’ access to qualified professionals who can support inclusive learning, student wellbeing and more individualised support for Students of Determination.
The wider Emiratisation drive is enabled through a coordinated model between MOHRE, ETCC and ADEK.
Central to this model is Nafis, which enables UAE nationals to access funded training, financial support and structured pathways into sustainable private-sector careers in education; while MOHRE enables the training and employment mechanisms through which candidates can enter private schools and contribute toward applicable Emiratisation requirements.
These efforts are also supported by the Emirati Student Employment Contract programme, which allows UAE nationals to join an employer from the start of their studies while receiving financial support, a monthly salary, pension registration, and practical on-the-job training.
Participants under this programme are also counted towards the employer’s Emiratisation targets.
Alongside employer demand, ADEK is building the talent supply needed to sustain the policy over the long term.
In collaboration with MOHRE and NAFIS, ADEK identifies and prepares national talent through a range of teacher attraction and development pathways.
These pathways include the Midad short-term programme, launched by the department earlier in 2026, which provides an entry point for UAE nationals interested in exploring the teaching profession, alongside Kon Moallim, launched by the department in 2025, which offers promising talent a sponsored postgraduate qualification in education.
Both are designed and delivered in partnership with ECAE.
Complementing these existing pathways is the launch of the Teachers Programme, a flagship NAFIS initiative delivered by ECAE in partnership with ADEK.
Through this programme, NAFIS is helping build a sustainable pipeline of qualified Emirati educators by reducing barriers to entry and connecting national talent with training and employment opportunities in private education.
The programme provides UAE nationals with a dedicated route to enter or transition into teaching by combining specialised training, practical classroom preparation and employment opportunities in the private education sector.
It is open to Emirati jobseekers and individuals seeking to transition into education careers, subject to approved eligibility requirements. The Teachers programme offers two dedicated pathways, Teacher and Teacher Assistant, creating flexible entry routes for Emirati talent at different qualification levels to pursue careers in the private education sector.
Through Nafis, eligible participants enrolled in the Teacher pathway may receive a monthly financial incentive of up to AED4,000 throughout the training period.
Through the policy, strategic partnerships and expanding development pathways, ADEK will continue to grow the number of Emirati educators across Abu Dhabi while ensuring national talent has the preparation, qualifications and opportunities needed to build long-term careers in education and contribute to a high-quality, values-driven and future-ready education ecosystem.
Source: Emirates News Agency