Dubai Holding in school partnership with Nord Anglia

Investment conglomerate Dubai Holding and UK-based school operator Nord Anglia Education have agreed to jointly develop and operate premium K-12 schools across the emirate. 

Dubai Holding Asset Management will develop school facilities for Nord Anglia to operate within its master-planned communities, according to a statement.

Dubai Holding, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, owns and operates 15 residential communities and 20 retail destinations in the emirate.

Dubai Holding was among a group of companies that bought Nord Anglia Education for $14.5 billion in March 2025.

Other investors were Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Sweden’s EQT and Neuberger Berman from the US.

Nord Anglia operates more than 80 schools in 33 countries, including two in Dubai.

The first Nord Anglia Education school under the latest deal, offering a British curriculum, is scheduled to open in Dubai Production City in the next few years, subject to final approval by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai Holding said in a statement. 

The school will serve families in neighbouring communities, including Jumeirah Golf Estates, Emirates Living and Tilal Al Ghaf. 

Additional Nord Anglia Education K-12 schools are planned across other Dubai Holding communities in the future.

No financial details or the number of schools proposed to be open were disclosed.

The move aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the Dubai Education Strategy 2033 (E33) to provide students access to education aligned with global standards.

“Our role in developing new school campuses will help meet the growing needs of our communities,” said Malek Al Malek, group CEO of Dubai Holding Asset Management.

• UAE schools roll out AI curriculum amid teacher shortage
• Taaleem plans new schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Gems Education plans to spend $300m on growth

This month Dubai Holding and Aldar, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, expanded their real estate development joint venture formed in 2023 to build almost 14,000 new homes in the emirate.

Dubai’s population has crossed 4 million, according to Dubai’s Data and Statistics Establishment. The figure has doubled since 2011 and rose by 5.5 percent in the 12 months to August 2025.

If annual growth of 5-6 percent continues, the city’s population could reach 5 million people by late 2029 or early 2030, the statistics department said.