Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that the UAE government has approved the inclusion of artificial intelligence as a subject across all levels of government education in the UAE, from kindergarten through Grade 12, starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, "Our goal is to teach our children and generations a deep understanding of artificial intelligence from a technical perspective, while also establishing their awareness of the ethics of this new technology, enhancing their understanding of its data, algorithms, applications, and risks, and how it relates to society and life."
The 2026-2027 academic year has begun in the UAE, bringing several positive changes to curricula and teaching methods in line with the country's vision. The Ministry of Education aims to reorganize students' relationship with technology in schools, so that the goal is not simply to increase the use of devices, but to ensure that technology adds genuine educational value while protecting the fundamental skills students need.
This direction is part of a vision led by Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri to develop education in line with artificial intelligence and modern technologies, without turning students into recipients who depend on digital tools for ready-made answers.
Technology Is No Longer an End in Itself
One of the most important changes announced by the ministry is a reconsideration of the impact of technology use inside the classroom. Al Amiri explained that the ministry has studied the effect of technology and digital platforms on the student experience and identified the need for greater balance, particularly when it comes to skills such as writing, concentration, the relationship between thinking and writing, and retaining books.
The new direction, therefore, is not about eliminating technology, but about using it more selectively and in conjunction with learning objectives.
In other words, students in Emirati schools will not treat devices as a permanent replacement for books, writing, or thinking. Instead, technology use will be determined by the needs of each lesson and the skills it aims to develop.
Students in the UAE using technology in the classroom
Among the most notable updates for the new school year is the regulation of electronic device use within the educational process. This does not mean banning technology from schools, but rather reorganizing its use to achieve a balance between benefiting from digital tools and maintaining students' core skills.
At the curriculum level, there has also been a significant change to the technology subject itself. The ministry has integrated the artificial intelligence curriculum with the Design and Innovation and Computer Sciences (CCDI) subject into a unified course called "Artificial Intelligence and Technology," implemented across the three educational stages.
The new subject's content has been aligned with the national framework for the artificial intelligence curriculum, while its priorities and content have been reorganized following the integration process.
This represents a move toward not only teaching students "to use an AI tool," but integrating artificial intelligence into a structured educational pathway linked to technology, design, innovation, and computer sciences.
This approach was confirmed by Minister Al Amiri, who explained that technology and artificial intelligence should enhance the quality of learning and thinking, enabling students to develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to ask questions, verify tool outputs, and make responsible decisions.
The change is not limited to classroom sessions; it also extends to how student learning is assessed. During the new academic year, the ministry is moving toward expanding project-based learning and assessment, where students apply what they have learned to real-life situations.
This also changes the role of technology. Rather than simply serving as a means of accessing information, it can become a tool students use for research, design, problem-solving, project completion, and presenting results.
This methodology cannot be implemented without developing teachers' skills. Therefore, the ministry launched a national program to enhance artificial intelligence skills among teachers, dedicating part of the training week for the 2026-2027 school year to programs focused on employing AI techniques in education and using modern educational applications.
More than 24,000 educational staff members participated in the specialized training week through more than 80 programs and workshops, including school leaders, teachers, counselors, specialists, and others.
These changes may concern parents first. If you have a student in a UAE public school this year, you will notice a different approach to technology use: more organized device use, a unified subject for AI and technology, project-based learning, more extensive teacher training on AI tools, and a clearer focus on how students use technology, how they think, and how they verify what they produce.
This aligns with the ministry's broader aim of building an education system that responds to rapid changes in knowledge and technology while preserving essential skills and developing learners capable of adapting to the future.
As the new school year begins, this special Annahar dossier explores the changing face of education across Lebanon and the Arab world — from rising back-to-school costs and family pressures to artificial intelligence, technology, and children’s emotional well-being. What does it really take to be ready for school today? Read our special dossier:
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