A new artificial intelligence curriculum is beginning to be implemented in classrooms across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Schools are integrating AI concepts through diverse formats, including gamified activities, storytelling, as well as supervised digital tools and subject-specific lessons.
The introduction of this program followed the approval of an AI textbook for all public and private educational institutions in the UAE. According to the plan, students will study aspects such as AI data, algorithms, areas of application, and potential risks, alongside the principles of ethical technology use.
The program's rollout also includes training approximately 22,000 teachers and educators so they can apply AI for teaching purposes, assessment, curriculum analysis, and lesson planning.
At Raffles World Academy in Dubai, AI literacy is being introduced incrementally for different age groups, rather than as a single subject for everyone. School leaders emphasized that the approach to AI education is gradual: it begins with everyday learning before moving to more explicit lessons on the topic.
Jolanda McCallum, PYP coordinator, noted that in primary school, AI literacy is woven into inquiry modules. Students may explore the role of AI in medical diagnostics, enhance their work using creative tools, or question the reliability of voice assistant responses.
As students advance to upper primary school, they begin using teacher-monitored platforms. Nation Choudhry, middle school education technology coordinator, reported that controlled platforms like Toddle AI Tutors, as well as AI features in PowerPoint and Canva, are used in upper primary. They are taught that the technology should complement, not replace, their own thinking.
At JSS Private School in Dubai, the approach for younger children is intentionally low-tech. Director Chitra Sharma stated that awareness of AI for early learners is taught primarily through play. Classroom exercises are designed to help children understand how machines follow instructions and recognize patterns.
Sharma specified that very little screen time is used in these activities. At this age, it is called 'AI awareness and exploration,' and it is almost entirely play-based. A typical lesson might involve sorting images into groups to demonstrate machine pattern recognition, or giving a classmate step-by-step instructions to cross a room and then observing the consequences of skipping a step.
The school also utilizes simple narrative activities and, when devices are used, teacher-controlled tools like ScratchJr. For young children, according to Sharma, the focus is less on understanding the technology itself and more on forming habits of safe and critical thinking. She added that for a six-year-old, it is important to know only a limited but essential set of things: a machine can follow instructions but does not think or feel; a device only knows what humans have taught it; and one should not give their name or photo to a screen without adult permission.
Sharma also stressed that all students of all ages have participated in these discussions related to AI. She explained that they are not merely an audience for announcements. The Student AI Council President sits on the AI Governance Committee alongside the director, phase heads, and a parent representative. This process is presented to them as a journey from kindergarten to 12th grade.
At Raffles World Academy, high school students move toward a more detailed study of AI through subject-specific and specialized lessons that align with UAE guidelines and the Ministry of Education's seven AI themes. The program uses controlled platforms such as Code.org, guiding students from basic machine learning concepts to neural networks, prediction, ethics, and real-world practical tasks.
The overall goal at the school is not just to prepare users of AI tools, but to cultivate students capable of evaluating the limitations and consequences of using AI.
At Shining Star International School in Abu Dhabi, Deputy Director and AI Strategist Sim Ajay noted that younger students are also cautiously introduced to AI, with teachers remaining the central figure in this process. He stated that at the early primary level, the priority is understanding and responsible use. Children can interact with carefully selected AI tools under teacher guidance, but AI must augment learning, not replace teachers, creativity, play, or human interaction. Their goal is to nurture curious, confident, and responsible digital learners.
Woodlem Education also focuses on skills that students will need as they progress through school. Founder and CEO Nufal Ahmed stated that students will responsibly use AI tools while developing broader competencies alongside digital literacy. He added that the school trains teachers and encourages AI projects, challenges, and competitions to stimulate innovation and responsible digital citizenship.
At Dubai International School – Emirates Hills, Director Hitesh Bhagat suggested that AI could ultimately make learning more personalized, allowing software to dynamically respond to each student's progress. He described how classes would rely heavily on AI-driven educational software that tracks student progress in real time. If a student struggles with a concept, the program automatically launches individualized, small lessons to bridge the gap. More advanced students can move forward at their own pace.