Building the Dubai Child

Dubai is at an exciting crossroads in education. With its rapidly growing population, rich diversity, and a vision to nurture children who are both globally capable and deeply connected to Emirati values, the city is reimagining early childhood education. Leading this transformation is the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which recently introduced the Policy on Arabic Language Provision in Early Childhood Education. This initiative ensures that children from birth to six years receive structured, meaningful exposure to Arabic — not just as a language, but as a bridge to culture, identity, and belonging. This is more than a curriculum change. It’s an intentional effort to shape the “Dubai Child” — a young learner who is bilingual, culturally grounded, confident, and ready to thrive in a global world. By weaving together policy, pedagogy, and infrastructure, KHDA is investing in a generation that feels rooted while reaching outward.

Nurturing the Next Generation through KHDA’s Early Childhood Framework is about building children who are confident, bilingual, culturally grounded, socially skilled, and ready for lifelong learning. It’s a holistic approach that combines language, culture, play, social-emotional development, and family engagement. KHDA’s Early Childhood Framework is about creating environments where children:

• Feel proud of their identity and culture
• Develop bilingual communication and cognitive flexibility
• Build social-emotional skills to interact positively with others
• Engage in curiosity-driven, play-based learning
• Experience healthy, active, and supported development
• Connect learning with family and community

Here’s a practical breakdown of how this can be done:

1. Foster Language and Cultural Identity

KHDA emphasizes the Arabic language and Emirati culture from birth to six years.
Strategies:

• Arabic-Rich Environment: Integrate Arabic songs, rhymes, stories, and visual cues in the classroom. Begin the day with songs, stories, or greetings in Arabic. Include Emirati folktales or stories about UAE landmarks. Set up areas in the classroom with Arabic books, flashcards, puppets, or role-play props reflecting local culture.
• Cultural Celebrations: Mark UAE National Day, Flag Day, and traditional festivals through themed activities, crafts, and role-plays. Celebrate other UAE events with themed activities, learn traditional dances, or prepare simple Emirati foods.
• Storytelling & Oral Traditions: Share Emirati folktales, proverbs, and family stories to develop cultural pride and listening skills.

2. Encourage Bilingualism and Communication Skills

Early exposure to both Arabic and English builds cognitive flexibility and strong communication skills.
Strategies:

• Dual-Language Story Time: Read stories in Arabic and English, encouraging children to retell them in either language.
• Interactive Role-Play: Create scenarios where children use both languages in play, e.g., market, school, or family settings.
• Labeling & Visuals: Use labels, posters, and signs in both languages to reinforce vocabulary naturally.

3. Develop Social-Emotional Skills

Social skills, empathy, and collaboration are key for the Dubai Child.
Strategies:

• Circle Time Discussions: Encourage children to express feelings and thoughts in a safe environment.
• Buddy Systems: Pair children of different backgrounds to complete simple projects together, encouraging collaboration and sharing.
• Mindfulness & Reflection: Short exercises to help children recognize and manage emotions. Create a space where children express feelings through drawings, puppets, or storytelling. Teach words for emotions in Arabic and English.
• Helping Hands Projects: Engage children in simple acts of community care, e.g., packing snacks for children in need or planting flowers in the school garden.

4. Promote Inquiry and Play-Based Learning

KHDA’s framework encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity.
Strategies:

• Exploration Corners: Set up STEM or sensory play corners with hands-on activities that reflect the local environment, like sand trays mimicking the desert, or water tables inspired by Dubai’s coastline. Include nature-based play areas that invite experimentation.
• Project-Based Learning: Children create models of UAE landmarks, conduct simple science experiments, or explore local flora and fauna, integrating art, math, and cultural understanding.
• Question-Led Learning: Encourage children to ask questions about their environment and seek answers through guided discovery. Encourage children to ask and answer questions about their city, country, or daily life. Example: “How do we celebrate National Day?” or “Why is water important in the desert?”

5. Strengthen Physical and Holistic Wellbeing

Healthy children learn better and develop confidence.
Strategies:

• Daily Movement: Include traditional Emirati games, songs, and stretches in morning routines.
• Outdoor Learning: Visits to local parks, heritage sites, or community farms where children can observe local flora, fauna, and cultural practices.
• Healthy Habits: Teach routines around nutrition, hygiene, and self-care through interactive activities. Short breathing exercises or quiet reflection periods to help children self-regulate emotions.

6. Engage Families and Community

Learning is reinforced when the home and school environments align.
Strategies:

• Parent Involvement: Invite parents to share traditions, lead story sessions, or participate in classroom projects.

• Community Connections: Invite local artists, musicians, and professionals to interact with children and demonstrate cultural practices. Invite Emirati professionals to introduce children to different roles and traditions.

• Showcasing Learning: Host exhibitions, performances, or open classrooms to celebrate children’s growth and achievements. Children create displays of their work (drawings, crafts, projects) and share with parents during special days or open classrooms

A “Dubai Child” is curious, bilingual, culturally grounded, socially aware, and confident. Teachers can integrate these elements daily through play, storytelling, collaborative activities, cultural experiences, and inquiry-based projects. Parents and communities strengthen this by sharing culture, language, and values at home, making learning consistent and meaningful. Implementing such a wide-reaching policy comes with challenges: ensuring consistent quality across hundreds of early education centres, training and supporting Arabic teachers, securing parental understanding, and maintaining accessibility. Yet, these challenges are opportunities to refine approaches, deepen engagement, and ensure every child experiences meaningful, joyful early learning.

If implemented effectively, this framework will cultivate a generation of children who are:

• Bilingual and confident in Arabic and English
• Proud of their Emirati heritage while globally aware
• Socially connected, inclusive, and resilient
• Equipped with strong cognitive and emotional foundations for lifelong learning

KHDA’s early childhood framework is not just a policy — it’s a vision for the future. It is about nurturing children who feel safe, valued, and connected, who find joy in learning, and who are ready to contribute meaningfully to Dubai and the world.

By Remediana Dias