(Credit - Government of Dubai Media Office)
5,810 Buses and 11 New Campuses Ready for 1.27 Million Students
At a media briefing in Dubai ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year, Minister of Education Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri confirmed that school gates across the UAE are ready to open for more than 1.277 million students. The total includes 26,700 new children entering the system for the first time across more than 1,180 public and private schools nationwide.
5,810 Buses and 11 New Campuses Ready for Morning Commutes
To handle the expanded enrollment, 11 new schools are joining the system alongside a fleet of 5,810 buses dedicated to morning and afternoon transit. Desk supplies are already in place, with 8 million textbooks distributed to campuses to cover subjects from day one.
Beyond physical setup, the ministry is shifting its routine focus straight into classroom practice. Policy decisions will rely on educational research and student data to evaluate how daily teaching impacts student behavior, skills, and practical application.
The ministry’s data-driven model will continuously gather classroom feedback to update practical tools and teaching methods as the term progresses.
UAE School Device Limits: What Changes in Core Subjects
Pen and Paper Return to UAE Classrooms Under New Device Limits
Physical books and pens are making a direct return to classrooms across the country. Starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, UAE schools will enforce a tightly regulated approach to electronic devices, pulling screens out of four core subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.
Announcing the shift during a media briefing on school readiness, Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of Education, explained that officials spotted clear warning signs regarding heavy screen time. Intensive use of digital platforms was taking a toll on student writing, reading, language development, and concentration, while also weakening the vital connection between thinking and writing.
This isn't a blanket ban on technology, though. Tablets and computers aren't disappearing from schools entirely; instead, the Ministry of Education is reserving them for learning activities that genuinely require them. If a digital tool adds real value for students and teachers, it stays. But for foundational subjects, paper materials take priority to reinforce core literacy and numeracy skills.
The decision didn't come out of nowhere. It builds directly on a pilot program run during the previous academic year, where a test group of students put down their screens and went back to traditional books and notebooks. According to officials, that trial paid off with measurable performance gains in certain subjects, alongside a sharp boost in student interaction and better classroom behavior.
Ultimately, the goal is smarter integration rather than sheer volume. By cutting back on constant screen use during core instruction, the ministry aims to protect student focus while keeping digital learning functional where it actually counts.
Harry Potter Movies UAE Return to Screens Starting Aug 27
All 8 Harry Potter Films Head Back to UAE Theaters Starting August 27
UAE moviegoers are getting a full wizarding marathon right at their local cinema halls starting Thursday, August 27. To celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary, theaters across the country are bringing all eight original films back to the big screen.
Catch All Eight Wizarding World Films in UAE Theaters
The re-release kicks off with *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, giving long-time fans and younger audiences a chance to experience the opening chapter in a theater setting. The remaining seven installments will follow over the next few weeks, running sequentially through *Chamber of Secrets*, *Prisoner of Azkaban*, *Goblet of Fire*, *Order of the Phoenix*, *Half-Blood Prince*, and both parts of *Deathly Hallows*.
Moviegoers are encouraged to turn the screenings into an event by dressing in house robes and wizarding gear. The theatrical run comes as HBO prepares to launch a new television series adaptation expected later this year around Christmas.
Ticket schedules and specific showtimes can be checked directly through local theater listings ahead of Thursday's opening roll-out.
UAE Public Schools Homework Scrapped for KG to Grade 2
No More Evening Homework for Public School KG to Grade 2 Students
Public school classrooms across the UAE are dropping traditional evening homework assignments for children in kindergarten through Grade 2 ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year. Announced during an official briefing by the Ministry of Education, the change keeps core academic instruction inside structured classroom hours while freeing up after-school time for family interaction, play, and simple home reading.
More Family Evening Time and Updated In-Class Grading Rules
For early learners, schools are replacing traditional take-home worksheets with targeted in-class activities designed to build literacy, communication, and foundational skills. Parents don't need to manage structured assignments at night anymore; authorities are simply encouraging families to keep up light daily reading routines at home.
Older students in Cycle 2 will see adjustments in how their Group A subjects are scored. School-based assessments will now account for 50 per cent of a student's grade, with central assessments making up the remaining 50 per cent. Teachers will also administer diagnostic assessments to spot individual learning gaps early, allowing staff to tailor customized reading and support plans for students who need them.
Project-based learning is expanding as well. A new integrated Grade 7 project will bring together Arabic, English, mathematics, and science into a single practical assignment. The Ministry of Education will implement the program in 366 schools, reaching roughly 29,000 students. Alongside these classroom updates, officials will conduct a 100 per cent evaluation of government and ministry-licensed private schools over the next two academic years, starting in the first term, to measure quality against national standards.
Minister of Education Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri confirmed that classroom instruction remains the primary priority as families, teachers, and schools work together to support student development.
Branded Residences Command 64% Premium in UAE Market Boom
Buyers Pay 64% Premium as UAE Branded Residence Pipeline Explodes
Dubai currently hosts 64 completed branded residence developments and has another 87 projects in its pipeline, securing the top spot globally for city-level market concentration. Driven by sustained international wealth migration, the UAE ranks second globally behind the United States for total branded residence projects. Ras Al Khaimah has simultaneously climbed into ninth place worldwide among sought-after real estate markets, propelled by major developments like the Wynn Al Marjan Island resort.
| Market Metric | Verified Statistic |
|---|---|
| UAE Global Country Rank (Savills) | 2nd worldwide (behind USA) |
| Dubai Completed Branded Developments | 64 projects |
| Dubai Pipeline Branded Developments | 87 projects |
| Ras Al Khaimah Global Rank | 9th worldwide |
| Average Branded Price Premium (CBRE) | 64% over non-branded properties |
| Global Sector Growth Rate (Savills) | Nearly 20% annually |
| Middle East & Africa Growth Forecast by 2031 | Over 270% expansion |
Buyers pay an average 64 per cent premium for branded units compared to equivalent non-branded properties, according to research from CBRE. That price gap reflects buyer demand for operational reliability, high service standards, and instant recognition, particularly among international investors purchasing units remotely without visiting the site first.
The market has expanded far beyond traditional hotel-backed properties. Non-hospitality brands, including fashion houses, automotive manufacturers, and design studios, are claiming a rapidly expanding share of new launches. Sector data from Savills shows global market growth approaching 20% annually, with project volume across the Middle East and Africa projected to surge by more than 270% by 2031.
Developers are adjusting their portfolios to capture distinct buyer profiles. For example, BNW Developments incorporates both traditional hospitality operators like Wyndham and lifestyle brands like Tonino Lamborghini into its project lineup. This dual-track strategy lets developers offer buyers a choice between operational trust and design exclusivity. In Ras Al Khaimah, this combination of non-hospitality partnerships and major anchor projects has shifted the emirate from a value-focused market into an international luxury investment hub.
UAE banks security adds biometrics to end SMS code fraud
No More SMS Codes: UAE Banks Roll Out Biometric App Logins
Residents checking accounts across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE are running into a fundamentally different login routine on their phones. Banks have quietly pulled the brakes on relying solely on text-message codes, shifting toward multi-layered digital security that turns your actual device and your face or fingerprint into the key.
The update hits both daily app check-ins and online checkout screens. Instead of waiting for a one-time password via SMS, customers now encounter instant notifications popping up directly inside their banking apps the moment a login attempt or transaction is triggered.
Biometrics and In-App PINs Take Over
The mechanics are shifting away from vulnerable text messages. To complete an online purchase or access an account, users now verify their identity through biometric features already registered on their devices, whether that means facial recognition, fingerprint scans, or eye scans. Paired with a dedicated in-app PIN known only to the customer, the process requires the user's registered phone and banking application to be actively present in the authentication chain.
When buying something online, an immediate notification hits the phone registered with the bank. The buyer opens the app, reviews the transaction details, approves it using the biometric check and PIN, and then heads back to the merchant's website to finish the payment. A text message still arrives after successful logins or requested transactions, giving users a chance to review activity and manually approve or reject it from within the app.
The Central Bank requires licensed financial institutions to keep customers informed of account movements via text message or email as they happen, while keeping details accessible through phone and internet banking platforms. These updated access controls lean on that framework, combining multiple elements at once, the registered device, the app itself, a custom PIN, and biometric characteristics, to make life much harder for fraudsters relying on SIM card swapping, phishing, social engineering, and intercepted verification codes.
