Hundreds of new teachers have arrived in Abu Dhabi as part of their first steps in becoming the emirate's newest public school educators.
The international recruits arrived in the capital in recent days and on Sunday between 400 and 500 of the English medium teachers and administrators gathered at the Park Rotana Hotel for an induction to life in the country.
Following a morning presentation by Abu Dhabi Educationl Council officials, the teachers spent the afternoon completing banking and housing paperwork to get started in their new lives. Adec also invited a number of service providers, such as car rental companies and home furniture vendors, to attend the orientation and offer the teachers services at a discounted price.
“That is what’s great, they basically give you access to everything to set you up,” said Esther Madray, 29, a South African mother of one toddler who arrived Thursday.
“We got car rental, we got furnishing, a bank that’s in here opening our accounts and it just makes life easier because it is difficult to travel out to a new country, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know where you are, so the fact that they were able to bring these businesses to us makes it a lot easier.”
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Like many workers who leave their homelands to move to the UAE, Ms Madray said she was attracted by the generous salary offered to public school teachers here, the high quality of life and opportunity to experience a new culture.
For many of the teachers who arrived this week, their journey to Abu Dhabi began in February when they applied for jobs through international recruiters. By April, they received written confirmation they were selected to teach starting this September. Earlier this month, they finally received their e-tickets confirming their international relocation. While the process may have felt like a lifetime for some, at least one teacher said it was done in the blink of an eye.
“It happened so quickly, I don’t think I had time to think about it,” said Meraaj Sayed, a 54-year-old South African who was encouraged by her husband to apply now that their three children are adults. “We thought it would be nice for us, we could travel the world and see the world. The kids are sorted, now it’s our time.”
All of the teachers and administrators that spoke with The National said this was their first trip to the UAE. For at least one South African principal, the flight he boarded to the capital was the first he had ever taken in his life.
“Everything here looks like they built it yesterday. It’s new, like a new toy,” said Michael, 50, a South African principal. “And compared to where I come from, from Cape Town, South Africa, it’s incredibly safe.”
Michael, who asked his surname not be used, said he gave up his job as a public school principal in South Africa so that he could earn more money.
“I am going to teach here and it’s almost triple what I was getting. I am serious,” he said. “And I suppose it’s an opportunity to see a new part of the world. I have been placed in Al Dhafra, the Western Region and I’m pretty excited about it because I want to get out of the city. I am looking forward to it.”
For South African Vincent Leung, a 28-year-old father of two young children, Abu Dhabi holds the promise of a better life for his young family.
“My main aim is to improve my next generation – it is safer here, there is better education, that is why my wife and I decided to come here,” said Mr Leung, a maths teacher.
For Ms Sayed, the hardest part of the transition was leaving family behind.
“The emotions are there, I saw it on the flight, the ladies were just crying,” said Ms Sayed. “I had to leave a grandson behind, eight months old. It’s hard.”
But she is also looking forward to starting her new life, she said.
“I am somebody who keeps upgrading, I embrace change,” said Ms Sayed, who has taught in her home country for more than 30 years. “We are adaptable as teachers. You can throw us anywhere. We know how to handle the children, and I know the children are going to be different, but that being said, lots of children are the same too. Maybe the culture is a bit different, but hey I’m here to embrace it. It is exhilarating.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Results
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
Rabbitmart: $14m
Smileneo: $5.8m
Soum: $4m
imVentures: $100m
Plug and Play: $25m
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
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
Company%20Profile
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RACECARD
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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