Talabat launches school promotions for families in the UAE on the occasion of the start of the academic year

For parents in the United Arab Emirates facing rising school tuition costs, scholarships can provide significant assistance. However, schools emphasize that these awards are not limited to achieving the highest scores.

As the 2026-27 academic year begins, schools are actively announcing scholarship opportunities for students at key transition points. Awards are increasingly recognizing talent in areas such as sports, performing arts, leadership, and personal qualities, rather than solely academic achievements.

At Arcadia British School, scholarships are primarily offered as partial tuition fee reductions in grades 7, 10, and 12—entry points coinciding with important stages of a child's education. Giles Pruett, Executive Director of Arcadia British School and a member of the Arcadia Education Board of Governors, stated that scholarships are an important way to recognize outstanding young people and provide them with opportunities for development within the school community.

He clarified that the 'Director's Awards for Excellence' recognize achievements and potential in three main areas: academic excellence, sporting excellence, and performing arts excellence. However, the school is not exclusively looking for students who achieve the highest exam results or demonstrate exceptional levels.

Schools are increasingly using the scholarship awarding process to identify students capable of contributing to the entire school community, rather than just rewarding exam results.

Pruett noted that personal qualities remain a key criterion, as schools seek students who exhibit traits such as leadership, kindness, and determination. He added: 'Personal qualities are extremely important at Arcadia. Therefore, we look for students who will positively impact school life, demonstrate leadership potential, and embody qualities such as kindness, honesty, determination, and a drive for success.'

At Arcadia, scholarships in grades 7 and 10 can provide discounts of up to 25 percent, while a small number of outstanding grade 12 students may receive awards of up to 50 percent. Athletes must have proven achievements and demonstrate versatile skills in multiple sports, while performing arts candidates can be assessed in music, dance, and drama.

Regent International School also offers merit-based scholarships in specific groups. David Williams, the school director, reported that the awards can recognize a wide range of achievements. He emphasized: 'We understand that excellence comes in many forms. Scholarships can be awarded for academic achievements, but we also consider areas such as sports, music, performing arts, and leadership.'

Both current and prospective Regent students can apply, with the assessment depending on the specific scholarship. These awards apply to tuition fees and generally do not cover transport, uniform, examination fees, or extracurricular activities.

At Gems Education, scholarship opportunities are available to both current and prospective students, with various programs targeting different types of talent. Lisa Krausby OBE, Chief Education Officer of Gems Education, reported that the group offers opportunities for expatriates, as well as programs for Emirati students and individual school awards.

She noted: 'The Gems Genius Scholarship is open to suitable students of all nationalities, whether they are currently studying at Gems or applying to join Gems from another school.'

The Gems Genius Scholarship is available for students entering Grade 10/Grade 9 and Grade 12/Grade 11 in the 2027 academic year, with applications opening in October 2026. These scholarships are provided for two years. Gems reports awarding scholarships to hundreds of students annually through various pathways, including Gems Genius Scholarships, Centre of Excellence Scholarships, and individual school awards.

Meanwhile, Rugby School Dubai offers scholarships covering up to 10 percent of the annual tuition fee for students enrolling in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 in August 2027. Henry Price, the founder of the school, stated: 'Our standard scholarships are partial awards that typically cover up to 10 percent of the annual tuition fee and are reviewed every two years. Scholars gain access to a personalized program that includes mentorship, enrichment, leadership pathways, and opportunities to represent the School.'

Emirati students can also apply for the Ruwad al Emarat Scholarship, which covers 50 percent of tuition from Grade 4 to Grade 13. At the newly opened Queen Elizabeth’s School in Dubai Sports City, the scholarship program is still under development while the school establishes its foundational culture.

The school looks beyond academic performance; its selection process is designed to assess students' strengths, character, and potential contribution to school life. The school's founder, Dan Clark, noted: 'Our scholarships represent a contribution towards tuition fees. As a new school establishing its foundation, we are carefully developing the program and considering awards for grades 5-9 (Grade 9 opens in September 2027)'.

Although the new academic year has just begun, families in Dubai can already look forward to an early break, which for many Dubai students will come sooner than previously expected.

Several private schools in Dubai have notified parents about the change in October holiday dates, shifting the five-day break forward by a week to align the schedule with the calendar of the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE).

For schools that follow a unified academic calendar, the mid-October break will run from Monday, October 12, to Friday, October 16, 2026. Thus, students will receive five days off. Considering preceding and subsequent holidays, they will be absent from school from October 10 to October 18, and classes will resume on Monday, October 19.

This change is particularly important for families whose schools originally planned holidays from October 19 to 23. A number of Dubai schools, including Dubai British School, Safa British School, and Arab Unity School, have sent notifications to parents confirming the revised dates. The schools explained that this change follows recommendations to bring their schedules into compliance with the calendars of the MoE and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

This adjustment is part of the UAE's move towards a more unified school timetable. The new three-year academic calendar introduced by the MoE sets the period from October 12 to 16 as the first mid-semester break for the 2026–27 academic year. The Dubai KHDA adopted the MoE calendar for schools under its regulation, forcing affected schools to change previously published dates.

The practical takeaway for parents is simple: do not rely on the old school calendar. It is necessary to check the latest approved calendar issued by the child's school before booking flights, hotels, or nurseries.

It is important to note that these October dates apply only to schools participating in the agreements regarding the unified calendar. Private schools using alternative curricula or operating under different regional regulations may have different holiday schedules.

Schools in Sharjah are subject to the emirate's own regulatory provisions, and schools following Asian programs may also operate under different academic calendars. Therefore, parents should consider the individual school calendar as the final reference.

For schools following the MoE calendar, the new academic year started on Monday, August 31, 2026. The first semester is scheduled for 13 weeks and 67 instructional days, with the October break representing the first planned pause in classes. After this, students continue lessons and assessments until November and December before the winter holidays.

Currently, no national holidays are scheduled in the UAE for September 2026. The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday was celebrated on Friday, August 28, shortly before schools resumed operations. The next national holiday in the UAE is National Day, which will take place on December 2 and 3, 2026. These two days are public holidays for both the public and private sectors.

For families, this means that the National Day break occurs shortly before the start of the winter school holidays. According to the MoE calendar for the 2026–27 academic year, winter holidays begin on Monday, December 14, 2026, and last until Sunday, January 3, 2027. Schools plan to resume operations on Monday, January 4, 2027.

Thus, for families planning trips for Christmas or New Year, the last scheduled school day for many students will fall on Friday, December 11. Again, international and alternative schools may publish different dates, so parents should contact their child's school directly.

For schools following the MoE calendar, the end of the academic year is scheduled for Friday, July 2, 2027. Since the academic year began on August 31, 2026, families have several breaks around which they can plan their affairs before the end of the school year. Before making any irreversible travel bookings, it is recommended to consult the school's approved calendar rather than the general UAE holiday calendar.