Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)

The Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) was established in accordance with law No. 24 of 2005, issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE President, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The Chairman of ADEK is H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and the Vice-Chairman is H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The Council seeks to develop education and educational institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, implement innovative educational policies, plans and programs that aim to improve education, and support educational institutions and staff to achieve the objectives of national development in accordance with the highest international standards. Recognized as a world class education system that supports all learners in reaching their full potential to compete in the global market.

ADEK Mission is to produce world-class learners who embody a strong sense of culture and heritage and are prepared to meet global challenges. ADEK’s core values are the foundational principles for continually improving performance:

• Teamwork: Emphasize the virtues of cooperation and coordination.
• Integrity: Doing the right thing no matter what the circumstances may be.
• Transparency: Open, true and honest communications and actions.
• Respect: Respect children, colleagues, parents and community.
• Accountability: Take personal responsibility for action.
• Compassion: Caring and responsibility toward others.

Our aims to put students first; develop a modern, innovative and world-class system; and help develop the citizens that our future society and economy will need. This section sets out many of the initiatives and programs involved in that. It also describes the various types of institutions and curriculums we provide. Our Education System lists the three main types of education in Abu Dhabi: Public Schools, Private Schools and Higher Education. Comprehensive details on each are given.

As well as our core activities, we implement a number of Key Initiatives, across a diverse range of areas. These are described here. Projects and Programs highlights typical activities we offer outside the normal curriculum, from sporting pursuits to summer schools, and services for parents such as our ADEK Services app. For those interested in the past, Education History in Abu Dhabi paints a picture of the foundations and context to our current system. This section contains our School Calendar and Holidays and also provides Examination Schedules.

The section on P-12 Education covers the main initiatives and Divisions through which we are working to improve this area of education. Alongside our public school system, there are also Private Schools throughout Abu Dhabi. Higher Education is a major growth area in the Emirate. We now have 18 HE institutions, offering a superb range of courses and facilities. Finally, we have collected a number of Testimonials, to give personal opinions on how education in Abu Dhabi has changed, and our role in this.

ADEK continually encourages new suppliers and vendors with applicable products and services to register with us. Taking into account the UAE’s rapid economic growth and green initiatives, we especially welcome registration from local suppliers. All acquisitions will be made on the basis of adequate competition among pre-qualified firms. (Normally, adequate competition is defined as at least three competitors.) Competition may be conducted on the basis of technical evaluation, price evaluation, or a combination of both.

ADEK works to ensure that the procurement process is characterized by fairness and transparency in a reliable environment. To this end, the procurement process is subject to both internal and external auditing processes. To learn about registration and the increasing array of business opportunities ADEK offers suppliers, please visit our information and registration links provided below.