UAE schools and universities will have a boom in enrolment after new visa rules come into effect in September, experts have said.
They said it was likely more families, particularly from India, Lebanon and Europe would move to the Emirates later this year.
Last month, many Indian schools in Dubai said they had recorded a boom in enrolments, particularly from families who had moved to the UAE this year.
Elmarie Venter, chief operations and marketing officer at Gems Education said: “In response to rising demand driven by an increasing population, sustained investment in infrastructure and teachers, and effective direction and support from regulators, the education sector in the UAE has been steadily growing and improving in quality and provision.
“As a result, we are seeing school enrolments rise, with our Indian curriculum schools in the UAE seeing a 6 per cent year-on-year increase in enrolments and our international schools, comprising non-Indian curriculum schools, seeing a 70 per cent increase in term three new joiners compared to this time last year.
"The new visa rules will only increase the Emirates’ appeal.”
In April, the UAE Cabinet approved one of the biggest overhauls of the visa residency system in years.
The new model, in some cases, ended the need for arrivals to get sponsorship.
People who enter as visitors will be able to stay for 60 days, rather than the 30 at present. The changes will come into effect in September.
Parents can sponsor their male children until the age of 25, up from 18, allowing them to remain in the UAE after school and university. This was first set out in September 2021.
The UAE's move to provide five-year green visas to middle-income workers will offer greater stability and flexibility.
Green visas will be available to people with bachelor's degrees who earn Dh15,000 ($4,084) or more per month as part of sweeping changes to attract new talent to the Emirates and encourage residents to stay longer.
University officials are excited about the effect of new visas on the education sector.
Dyllan Hancott, chief advancement officer at Canadian University Dubai said: “We anticipate that the number of students within the UAE will increase with the immigration of more young people and their families.
“We anticipate more incoming students from traditional markets like India and growing markets like China.
"The new visa options also present the opportunity for Canadian and other western expats to live and work more easily in the UAE, which is also likely to bring more students from these countries.
“We can anticipate more outstanding students who will want to jump-start their careers in this country."
Pupil numbers at Dubai’s private schools grew by 10,000 this academic year, after a dip during the pandemic.
Official statistics show 289,019 pupils were enrolled in the emirate's 215 schools at the start of the academic year, up from 279,191 for the 2020-21 term.
In the 2019-20 school year, 295,148 children were studying at 208 schools.
Ashwin Assomull, head of LEK Consulting's Global Education Practice, said that visa changes such as the introduction of the golden and green visas had helped boost the attractiveness of living in the Emirates.
“We've seen lots of people move from India," he said. "Also, we've seen all this turmoil in Lebanon, that has led to many people moving from Lebanon."
He said more people were moving from Europe for the quality of life.
He said that along with the ease of securing long-term visas, the UAE’s attractiveness as a location, time zone, air connectivity and management of the Covid-19 pandemic all helped.
“I expect school enrolments to continue to grow," Mr Assomull said. "I think next year, you'll see very strong growth, probably not in the budget segment, which is tuition fees of Dh18,000 and below, but everything above that.
“In this year, schools in the premium segment have grown at anywhere between 8 and 11 per cent. And that growth will continue to be very strong as more people move to Dubai.
“It's not just because of the visa changes, the visa is one driver of it. Everything that the government has done around managing through the last few years has helped.”
He said the new green visa would be especially helpful.
The population of Dubai is projected to nearly double in the next 20 years, say experts who predict a fresh wave of post-pandemic immigration.
The emirate nears a population of 3.5m and is expected to reach 5.8m by 2040.
Talat Goldie, human resources director at Taaleem, said that as the population grows, the emirate will need to develop its infrastructure and more schools.
She said Taaleem would look at growing their schools and opening new schools in the future.
“You need to obviously have visas in place or residencies in place that are going to attract people," said Ms Goldie.
"I think these visa systems that are bought in place ... all of this is going to help them reach that increase in the population growth."
She said the new rules such as being able to sponsor male children up to the age of 25, helped attract people who wished to settle in the country.
"All schools, I think, are now seeing an increase in enrolment numbers and much more interest," said Ms Goldie.
"That, coupled with the fact that post-pandemic a lot of people can work from home or can work from whatever location they want, means they can actually move here and work from here and move their children into schools here."
UAE's top universities - in pictures
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
More on animal trafficking
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')
Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')
Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
DUBAI SEVENS 2018 DRAW
Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2
Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC
Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
