Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In the United Arab Emirates, the official entry age for pre-primary education is 4 years old. While not mandatory, two years of free pre-primary education is granted in legal frameworks. Between 2001 and 2024 the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education steadily rose from 70.15% to 82.17%.
Governance
In the UAE, pre-primary education in government schools is financed and overseen at the federal level by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Kindergarten education (KG1 and KG2) is voluntary and forms part of the public K-12 system. Financing for public kindergartens is provided through the Ministry of Education’s annual budget, which covers wages and salaries, services, and special expenditures. While the MoE oversees public KG curricula, standards, and inspections, the Federal Agency for Early Education (FAEE), established under Federal Decree-Law No. 43/2022, holds exclusive licensing authority for private early education institutions (4-10 years) and sets unified standards for education, health, and environment that local regulators must follow. Public schools in the UAE offers free education from KG1 to Grade 12 to UAE citizens.
At the local level, governance arrangements vary by emirate. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) exercises emirate-level oversight of kindergartens, including the implementation of local school models within the federal framework. In Dubai and Sharjah, local education authorities regulate private kindergartens, while public KG provision remains aligned with federal policies. In the Northern Emirates (Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah), public kindergartens operate under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education through local branches.
Tuition-free status
According to UIS data, two years of free pre-primary education is granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
No evidence was found of specific mechanisms in place to allocate funds based on equity considerations across regions.
2. Education resources to institutions
School For All: Inclusive Education Initiative
The Initiative establishes a system-wide framework for providing additional resources to schools in order to ensure equity for students with disabilities and gifted students across the entire K-12 cycle, from kindergarten through Grade 12. Under this framework, the Ministry of Education, through its Special Education Department, is mandated to support all public and schools by coordinating and ensuring the availability of special education teachers, specialised professionals (including speech, physical, and occupational therapists), assistive technologies, and related support services. At the local level, education districts’ special education units are responsible for assessing schools’ needs and allocating or coordinating human resources, assistive devices, transportation, and assessment accommodations, while schools themselves are required to provide the necessary physical, learning, and assessment adaptations, including accessible infrastructure and learning materials.
At the local level, emirate governments also operate specialised centres that provide direct, equity-oriented support for children with disabilities. In Dubai, the Dubai Child Development Centre offers comprehensive assessment, rehabilitation, and family support services for Children of Determination from birth to age six at free of charge.
3. Education resources to students and families
No evidence was found of direct financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education in the UAE. Government support is not cash-based but takes the form of free pre-primary education through government kindergartens.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The UAE’s Social Welfare Programmes operate under the legal framework established by Federal Decree-Law No. 23 of 2024 on Social Support and Empowerment, which defines the elements of social support, eligibility conditions, and benefit calculation mechanisms. The system is administered at the federal level by the Ministry of Community Empowerment (MoCE) and is income means-tested, with eligibility and benefit levels determined through the calculation of an eligibility threshold. Within this framework, the Social Welfare Programmes provide monthly cash assistance to eligible Emirati households, targeting vulnerable groups such as low-income families, widows, divorced women, orphans, and People of Determination. While these programmes are not education-specific, they include child-related allowances and family support components that transfer resources directly to households, with children generally covered as dependents up to age 21 if they are in education.
