ADEK-Aldar Education deal aims to expand Emiratisation in schools through structured recruitment, training, internships and long-term leadership pathways
Aldar Education plans to recruit more than 300 UAE nationals, including over 100 Emiratis stepping into teaching roles for the first time, as Abu Dhabi accelerates efforts to boost national representation in classrooms.
The move is part of a broader partnership between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)) and Aldar Education, aimed at strengthening Emirati participation across school-based roles.
Officials said the collaboration is expected to drive a “ninefold increase” in Emirati representation in key education positions.
It also marks the first initiative of its kind between ADEK and a private education provider, reflecting a growing push towards deeper public-private cooperation in developing the education workforce.
At its core, the programme is designed as a structured pipeline — beginning with early exposure and internships, progressing into teaching roles, and eventually extending into specialist and leadership positions across Aldar schools.
Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Education in an interview with Khaleej Times, said the partnership represents more than recruitment, describing it as a long-term shift in how national talent is developed in education.
She said it is about building a “sustainable national capability framework” that supports the UAE’s broader human capital goals.
“Through this first of its kind collaboration in the education sector, Aldar Education will work with ADEK towards hiring more than 300 UAE Nationals, including over 100 new-to-sector Emirati teachers.”
She also emphasised the depth of change, calling it a “structural shift in how Emirati teaching talent is developed, deployed, and retained.”
Cooper noted that Aldar will also support the national goal of ensuring “Social Studies teaching roles are led by Emirati educators,” across its schools “within the next three years.”
She added that early-career access is central to the model, highlighting “up to 30 internships annually and up to 40 Classroom Assistant opportunities each year” as part of the entry pipeline.
Beyond numbers, she said Emirati teachers bring strong cultural grounding, noting their role in shaping identity and belonging in classrooms. She said Emirati educators contribute to “identity, citizenship, belonging, and national consciousness.”
She also underlined the wider ambition, saying the collaboration aims to embed Emirati talent not just in classrooms but across leadership and specialist functions, reflecting “the UAE’s long-term ambition to cultivate a future-ready, knowledge-driven society led by national talent.”
A key pillar of the initiative is helping Emirati graduates, transition into teaching roles, through structured training programmes.
“ADEK’s initiatives create high-quality entry pathways that equip Emirati graduates with the needed pedagogical foundations. We then operationalise this talent pipeline through structured onboarding, mentorship, professional development and clear progression frameworks across our schools’ network.
What makes this model strategically important is that it focuses on capacity building rather than placement alone. “We are building educators who can thrive in modern, high-performing school environments and ultimately evolve into future academic and school leaders,” added Cooper.
Its internal development model is also highlighted, including the Aldar Education GROW Teacher Pathway Programme (multi-year talent development initiative), which identifies high-potential candidates early and supports them through qualifications such as PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) training.
The programme also assesses broader competencies including leadership potential, communication skills, adaptability, safeguarding awareness, and alignment with school values.
Beyond entry-level teaching, the partnership is designed to create long-term career progression into specialist and leadership roles.
“The sector increasingly requires educators who are not only academically strong, but also capable of navigating evolving pedagogical models, technology integration, student wellbeing priorities, inclusion frameworks and future workforce demands.”
She described its development approach as one built on continuous progression and readiness, with the goal of ensuring Emirati educators move into leadership positions over time.
Coper pointed out that the long-term ambition is to build an “end-to-end national talent ecosystem within education”, enabling Emiratis to grow from entry-level roles into highly specialised academic and leadership positions.
Retention is also central to the strategy. Aldar Education said Emiratisation is not a compliance exercise but a long-term investment in sector capability.
“This begins with structured onboarding, mentoring, and continuous professional development, but extends much further into leadership readiness, career mobility, and creating visible pathways for advancement across our schools’ network.”
The partnership will also include joint governance with ADEK, tracking recruitment, retention, and progression metrics to ensure measurable outcomes.
She added, “Ultimately, the success of this initiative will not only be measured by how many Emirati teachers enter classrooms, but by how many remain, grow, specialise, and progress into influential leadership positions that help shape the future direction of education in the UAE.”
© Khaleej Times
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