At a glance
- Who sets the curriculum
- UAE Ministry of Education
- Private MOE schools in Dubai
- 15 schools, 13,041 students (KHDA, 2024-25)
- Assessment
- Three terms, each with end-of-term exams
- Secondary streams
- General and Advanced, with an Elite track for high attainers
- 2026-27 year
- 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027
Who studies the MOE curriculum in Dubai
Most children in Dubai attend private schools, which is why KHDA's numbers are dominated by British, Indian and American schools. The MOE curriculum sits in a different place. Emirati families can choose a government school, which teaches it free of charge, and a small private sector also teaches it: 15 schools and 13,041 students in KHDA's 2024-25 count, a fall of one school in the year while enrolment stayed almost flat. Several of these private schools are long-established community schools that teach in Arabic and serve Arab expatriate as well as Emirati families.
Because the curriculum is set nationally, a Grade 10 student at a private MOE school in Al Garhoud and one at a government school in Hatta follow the same course outlines and sit end-of-term exams on a shared national timetable. That is useful when choosing a tutor: the content does not vary by school the way British or American courses do, but the language of instruction and the stream do.
Private MOE-curriculum schools in Dubai: seven examples
All listed by KHDA with the Ministry of Education curriculum. Grades and latest KHDA overall rating (2023-24) as shown in the KHDA directory.
| School | Area | Grades | Latest KHDA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Shurooq Private School | Jumeira | KG1 to Grade 12 | Good |
| Al Rashid Al Saleh Private School | Oud Metha | KG1 to Grade 12 | Good |
| DEWA Academy (MOE with BTEC) | Al Hudaiba | Grade 9 to Grade 12 | Good |
| Al Arqm Private School | Al Barsha | Pre-primary to Grade 12 | Acceptable |
| The National Charity School for Boys | Al Garhoud | Grade 5 to Grade 12 | Acceptable |
| Himayah School for Education (Girls) | Al Karama | KG1 to Grade 12 | Acceptable |
| Dubai Modern Education School (MOE and American) | Al Mizhar | KG1 to Grade 12 | Acceptable |
Government schools in Dubai also teach the MOE curriculum. They are not licensed by KHDA, so they do not appear in its directory.
How the MOE school year is assessed
| Element | What happens | What it means for families |
|---|---|---|
| Three terms | The 2026-27 year runs from 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027, with breaks in October, December and April | Each term is a fresh block of content and a fresh set of marks |
| End-of-term exams | Held at the end of each term on a national schedule set by the Ministry | Revision has to start two or three weeks before each block, not once a year |
| Continuous assessment | Classwork, projects and quizzes count alongside the exams | Regular homework support protects marks between exams |
| Streams from Grade 9 | General or Advanced, plus an Elite track | Advanced and Elite carry heavier maths and science |
The Ministry publishes term dates and exam schedules each year; check the school's circulars for the exact papers.
When lessons fit for an MOE student in Dubai
Private MOE schools follow KHDA's weekly rules, so Friday classes have ended by 11:30am since January 2026. Most MOE students are home by mid-afternoon, and families often prefer a lesson after Asr prayer, around 4:30pm to 6:30pm, or on Saturday morning. In the two weeks before each end-of-term block, many families move from one lesson a week to two for maths and physics, then drop back once exams are over.
The language question matters. Advanced-stream maths and science use a lot of English terminology, and some students who are confident in Arabic lose marks on reading the question rather than on the maths. LiveTutor lessons are taught in English; Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, so ask when you book if you want explanations in Arabic.
What an MOE tutor works on
The tutor starts from the student's textbook and the term's outline, then checks the topics that carry the most marks in the coming end-of-term exam. In Advanced-stream maths that usually means functions, trigonometry and, later, calculus; in physics it is mechanics and electricity problems with several steps. Lessons combine short explanation, worked examples on the whiteboard and practice in the format the Ministry uses, and the tutor keeps a running list of question types the student still gets wrong so the last week before exams is spent on those.
Common questions
How many private schools in Dubai teach the MOE curriculum?
KHDA's 2024-25 figures list 15 private MOE-curriculum schools with 13,041 students. Government schools in Dubai also teach it, but they are not part of KHDA's private school count.
Is EmSAT still needed for university in the UAE?
No. EmSAT is no longer the required entry test, and universities now set their own requirements. Our guide to what replaced EmSAT explains the current rules.
Can my child have lessons in Arabic?
Lessons are taught in English. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, so ask when you book and we will tell you what is possible.
How much do MOE curriculum lessons cost?
$15 a lesson for every subject and stream. Families choose 1 to 5 lessons a week, billed monthly, and the first lesson is a free trial for your household.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.