National Identity, AI Shape UAE’s 2025–2026 Academic Year

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd Aug, 2025) The global education sector is witnessing a transformative shift as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes an integral part of school curricula.

Beginning with the 2025–2026 academic year, UAE public schools will introduce Artificial Intelligence as a formal subject across all grades, from kindergarten to grade 12.

This initiative aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand AI principles and apply them in daily life, aligning with the UAE’s vision of preparing future generations to navigate rapid global changes and create innovative solutions.

The Ministry of Education has announced that around 1,000 teachers will deliver the new AI curriculum across different educational stages, ensuring comprehensive coverage for all grade levels.

The UAE’s AI curriculum is designed around seven key areas including fundamental concepts, data and algorithms, software usage, ethical awareness, real-world applications, innovation and project design, and policies and community engagement.

The programme is tailored to the developmental needs of each age group, gradually building knowledge and competencies as students advance.

With this step, the UAE positions itself among the world’s pioneering nations to embed artificial intelligence as a dedicated subject in school education.

At the international level, several countries are also advancing AI education in schools, whether as standalone subjects or integrated within existing ones.

Moreover, the new academic year officially begins on Monday, August 25, 2025, across all schools in the country. It brings with it a set of updates that reinforce the UAE’s national efforts to establish a progressive and innovative education system, one that aligns with national priorities and strengthens the global competitiveness of education in the Emirates.

In parallel, the current academic year also marks the implementation of mandatory guidelines for teaching Arabic, Islamic Education, and social concepts in kindergarten stages at private schools across the UAE.

The initiative seeks to instill national values in children from an early age, nurturing a generation that is firmly rooted in its national identity, proficient in its mother tongue, and well-versed in family, community, and national geography concepts.

Under the national testing system, the Ministry of Education announced a new standardised proficiency test to measure core subjects' skills for grades 4 to 11 in public schools.
The test aims to assess students' most important skills and identify their weaknesses. The test targets the core subjects of Arabic, Mathematics, and English. The first phase is expected to include 26,000 students.

This initiative focuses on assessing students’ core competencies and identifying areas of weakness. It enables teachers to address learning gaps and provides the Ministry with a comprehensive view of students’ proficiency in these critical subjects.