Abu Dhabi private schools to take on 2,000 Emirati teachers in five years
ADEK's new Emiratisation policy for private education sets targets for teaching jobs, starting with Social Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) launched an Emiratisation Policy for Private Education on 23 October 2026. It sets Emirate-level targets for teaching jobs in Abu Dhabi's private schools, on top of the federal Emiratisation rules, and aims to bring more than 2,000 UAE nationals into teaching over five years.
Five school operators have made the first pledges: Taaleem 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. The policy is backed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (NAFIS). Hiring starts with Social Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers and grows step by step.
It builds on a May 2026 agreement with Aldar Education for more than 300 jobs for Emirati educators, and on the Abu Dhabi Educators' Proficiency Framework that ADEK drew up with the Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE).
Emiratis thinking about teaching have several ways in, according to ADEK: Midad, a short programme for those trying out the job; Kon Moallim, a sponsored postgraduate qualification in education; and the NAFIS Teachers Program run by ECAE, with Teacher and Teacher Assistant tracks, where trainees on the Teacher track can receive up to Dh4,000 a month. Students can also join a school on an Emirati Student Employment Contract while they study, with a monthly salary and pension registration. Details and applications are on the ADEK, ECAE and NAFIS websites.