The latest restructuring was jointly announced by the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the 22nd of May. Most stakeholders will agree that a systemic shift is required in the public sector. The MOE has taken a more top-down approach through curriculum modifications, national exams for kids, and requiring an exclusive stream for brilliant children. The revised curriculum includes new topics such as health, science, technology, career guidance, innovation, design, general skills, and business management. Bilingualism will be gradually introduced to strengthen national identity, foster critical thinking and innovation, and foster teamwork and problem-solving skills. There are also other important moral and ethical studies changes in the curriculum for all grades. New textbooks for disciplines like Mathematics, History, Geography, Social Studies, and Economics have been supplied to schools as part of an arrangement with McGraw–Hill Education, an American publisher for educational resources.

The Reforms are a Critical Step towards the UAE’s Ambitious Future

The direction and pace at which things are changing in the workplace indicate one thing; the workplace of the near future will be completely different from what we see now. The UAE has always been gifted with visionary leadership and every step in its development has been ahead of its time. The latest reformation matches that the ambition of the UAE can only be achieved with a stream of homegrown educated minds who can drive that vision forward. The CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE), Dr. Sonia ben Jaafar, said, “The announcement is a critical step toward the UAE Centennial 2071 plan, which recognizes that excellent quality of education is a key pillar of a successful society.”

The UAE Centennial 2071 is a remarkable future-centric plan launched by the Cabinet and is based on a lecture put forth by the His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, “UAE Centennial 2071 is based on four aspects: Education, economy, government development, and community cohesion. The goal is for the UAE to be the best country in the world by 2071. The vision’s objectives also include the development of education, with a focus on advanced technology and engineering, and instilling an Emirati moral values system in future generations.” Clearly, the strategy intends to invest in future generations by providing them with the skills and knowledge required to deal with fast change. The 5-decade long plan provides a clear roadmap for long-term government action to strengthen the country’s reputation and soft power.

The New Structure of the Education System of UAE

UAE Centennial 2071 emphasizes the importance of high-quality education by focusing on advanced science and technology, space science, engineering, innovation, and health sciences. Other educational strategies include training kids in early detection systems for their specific skills. On an institutional level, educational institutions are encouraged to serve as entrepreneurial and innovation incubators as well as worldwide research centers.

The new education structure includes the formation of the Education and Human Resources Council, the Federal Authority for Quality Education, the Federal Authority for Early Childhood Education, the Emirates Schools Establishment, and a reorganization of the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, the local educational authorities in each emirate are assigned to operate under the singular new system and with specific competencies. 

Benefits for the Job Market

Under the revised education framework, students in the UAE will be more future-ready than ever before, as the country seeks to address future economic problems and produce a competitive global workforce. The education industry has collectively welcomed the decision with positive enthusiasm. The provost and vice-principal at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Professor Ammar Kaka, said, “The restructuring of the education system in the UAE should result in students from this region being more successful than ever before in the highly competitive global workforce…”

Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi will be appointed Education Minister and will review all legislation and regulations about the UAE’s educational system. He is currently the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs and was formerly the Minister of State for Higher Education. Surely, his previous experiences and achievements speak for themselves of how that will be beneficial for the revolutionization of the job market and the development of new skills among future generations. He formerly worked for McKinsey & Company. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, the Executive Director of Strategy and Tourism Sector Development at Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the Vice President of Mubadala Development Company’s Industry Unit.

According to studies, the global workforce will rise by 230 million individuals by 2030.  Furthermore, the labor market is quickly evolving, with an estimated two billion jobs shifting owing to new technologies, decarbonization, and new development industries. The reorganization will inspire educators and other stakeholders to reform education by developing an education roadmap and actively participating in the formulation of policies or services. Professor Ammar Kaka had also further warned that there would be a talent shortage of $8.5 by 2030. On the one hand, students and parents view education as an investment that will provide a reasonable return on their investment. On the other hand, the job market is skeptical of the quality of “products” produced by higher education since it is not “industry-ready.” The impact of restructuring, in our opinion, will be progressive, as governments and stakeholders will now be required to think more imaginatively and innovate to provide alternative and more relevant answers to future educational demands. As mentioned previously, this move will result in the development of a talent pool within the country, making it more self-sufficient and changing the job market to become more dynamic and robust.

The new structure, though it directly pertains to government-run schools, will be critical in instilling a sense of urgency for bold action to inspire action, explore new opportunities, and develop holistic models of learning and designs that are different and more suitable, even if it means challenging traditional ways of working even among private and international schools. Governments that can alter their skill landscapes and increase the future readiness of their human capital will be able to unleash labor market possibilities and demonstrate that they can be leaders rather than followers in the post-pandemic world.

Concluding Thoughts

Throughout its relatively brief existence as a single entity, the UAE has been accustomed to exceeding the lofty goals it has set for itself. The Emirates has risen in size, affluence, and global prominence through over 50 years of social and economic growth. A technological “revolution” is transforming the basic character of employment in all industries and sectors throughout the world. It has been dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution because of the merging of physical and virtual worlds.

Many job families vanish, while others are being relocated, and new and fascinating career categories are emerging. This is producing a significant skills gap in today’s labor markets while also yielding significant productivity gains. Depending on where one stands now, the future is either tremendously exciting and affluent or highly problematic and uneven. Changes and updates to the Education systems such as this are essential in creating skills and talents to meet the requirements of that future job market and workplace.