Languages and your family in Dubai: the second language your kids will meet

Dubai runs on English, but your children's timetable won't: from nursery up, every private school, British ones included, has to teach Arabic.

The short version

• Arabic is the UAE's official language, and the Ministry of Education requires it in private schools whatever the curriculum. Non-Arab pupils typically study Arabic as an additional language through most of their school years; your school can tell you exactly which year groups take it [1].
• Since September 2025, Dubai's KHDA has required Arabic in early years too, starting with children aged four to six in private schools and nurseries [2]. Federal guidelines set 200 minutes a week of Arabic in private kindergartens, rising to 300 by 2027–28 [3].
• Children who join a UAE school late with no Arabic can sometimes be exempted. The school applies, not you.
• English is the working language of Dubai, but it's an international English. Keeping your family's English strong takes a bit of thought, especially in bilingual families.
• For adults, Arabic is a bonus rather than a requirement. The US Foreign Service Institute rates it one of the hardest languages for English speakers, at about 88 weeks of full-time study [4].

Arabic at school: what's compulsory

The UAE's rules apply to every private school, so the Arabic lesson is as fixed a part of your child's week at a British school in Jumeirah as it is at an Indian school in Al Qusais.

Primary and lower secondary. Arabic as an additional language is compulsory for non-Arab pupils through primary and most of secondary school, usually with several lessons a week; ask your school for its exact year groups and timetable [1]. After that, Arabic becomes optional for most expatriate pupils at GCSE and A level.

Early years. Under KHDA's Arabic policy for early childhood, which started in September 2025 (April 2026 for schools on an April calendar), all KHDA-licensed private schools and early childhood centres teaching children aged four to six must give at least a third of weekly time to Arabic-based activities [2]. The policy covers all children, not only Arabic speakers, with different expectations for non-Arabic speakers [2]. Federal guidelines approved for private kindergartens add a set 200 minutes of Arabic a week, about 40 minutes a day, rising to 300 minutes by 2027–28 [3].

Other required subjects. Islamic education is compulsory for Muslim pupils only, and UAE social studies is taught to everyone [3].

Exemptions for children arriving from abroad

Exemptions from Arabic exist but are narrow. In practice they're mostly for pupils who join a UAE school after Year/Grade 6 with no previous Arabic, and for some children with special educational needs. The school submits the request with your consent and evidence (earlier school reports, or an up-to-date educational psychologist's report and learning plan), and the regulator decides. We couldn't open the Ministry's own exemption policy, so ask the school's head of Arabic before you assume your child qualifies.

What it means for a British family

A child arriving at eight with no Arabic joins classmates who've had a few years of it. Most schools place non-Arab pupils by level rather than age, so it's less daunting than it sounds, and a weekly tutor for a term or two closes the gap. Older arrivals tend to find the script and sounds harder, which is one reason exemptions focus on them.

Arabic is a Category IV "super-hard" language in the FSI's ranking [4]. Your child won't be fluent from four lessons a week, and the schools know it. What they get is the alphabet, everyday vocabulary, a feel for the culture they're growing up in, and a head start if they ever want to take it further.

A few words for the parents

You'll hear these at school pick-up and around town: "marhaba" (hello), "shukran" (thank you), "inshallah" (God willing, which also covers "maybe"), "yalla" (come on) and "habibi" (my dear). Using them at the school gate or with your child's Arabic teacher goes down well.

Keeping English strong

Dubai is English-speaking, but your child's classmates may speak Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Russian, French or Tagalog at home, and a US-curriculum school down the road teaches American spelling. Your children will pick up a cheerful international English. Whether they also keep a British one is down to you.

Children

• Read with them in English every day, and keep UK books in the house. A British-curriculum school helps, but home matters more.
• Keep up with the grandparents. Video calls with family back in Blighty are as good for their English as for your mum.
• Watch the spelling. If your child moves between curricula, -ise or -ize and -our or -or endings will come up. It matters for GCSE English and for writing in British English back home.
• Cambridge English Qualifications from Cambridge University Press & Assessment run from Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers for young learners up to A2 Key for Schools, B1 Preliminary for Schools and B2 First for Schools [5]. They're aimed at children learning English, so they're useful for kids in bilingual families where English isn't the strongest language, not for children already doing GCSE English.

Bilingual families and partners whose first language isn't English

If one parent's first language isn't English, there's no need to choose. "One parent, one language" works for many families: each parent speaks their own language to the children, consistently. Planned mixing is fine too. The helper may add a third language; our guide to your helper and your language covers how to make that work.

If you might move back to the UK one day with a non-British partner, English matters for the visa. The UK family visa asks partners to pass an approved English test at CEFR level A1 for the first application and A2 in speaking and listening for the extension, and a B1 or higher result can be reused when applying to settle [6]. Nationals of some majority-English-speaking countries are exempt [6]. Our guide to bringing a non-British partner to the UK has the detail.

Exams for adults

• IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and comes as IELTS Academic (for university), IELTS General Training (for work and migration) and IELTS for UKVI, the version for UK visas [7].
• Professional English. Some Dubai employers ask non-native speakers for an IELTS score or a Cambridge English Qualification such as B2 First or C1 Advanced. For partners job-hunting here, a recent certificate can carry real weight.

Learning Arabic yourself

You don't need Arabic to live, work or rent in Dubai, and the FCDO's Living in the UAE guide simply points you to English-speaking lawyers and translators when you need them [8]. But many parents learn a little alongside their children, and Gulf Arabic is spoken around you every day. Short courses, community centre classes, apps and live online lessons all exist. One-to-one online suits busy parents; small groups are cheaper and more sociable; kids' classes can give a child who's struggling with school Arabic a confidence boost.

For which schools and tutors have worked for other British families, ask in our community group for Brits in the UAE.

If you'd rather learn with a live teacher online, our language partner is below.

Sources

1. GEMS Education: Arabic language curriculum requirements in UAE schools (16 January 2024)
2. KHDA: FAQs about Arabic provision in early childhood care and education (checked November 2026)
3. Gulf News: UAE mandates Arabic, Islamic education and social studies in kindergarten
4. US Department of State: Foreign Service Institute, foreign language training (checked November 2026)
5. Cambridge University Press & Assessment: Cambridge English Qualifications
6. GOV.UK: Family visas, knowledge of English
7. IELTS: official site
8. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in the United Arab Emirates (updated 11 December 2025)

Keep reading

• Schools in Dubai
• Dubai school fees and the KHDA ratings
• Your helper and your language
• Bringing a non-British partner to the UK later: the family visa