30/03/2026 03:11 AST
Taleem, the K-12 premium education provider in the UAE, plans to open three new schools, adding more than 5,000 seats over the next two years, the Dubai-listed company said in its H1 2025-26 results.
The group said in the development pipeline features Harrow School Dubai, Harrow School Abu Dhabi, and a planned premium school in Ghaf Woods.
Alan Williamson, CEO of Taaleem, said Harrow International School Dubai, its newest flagship school, is progressing in line with plan and remains on track for opening in September 2026, with registrations to date touching above business planning expectations, reflecting strong early traction.
The company is operating 13 premium schools with a capacity of 23,848 students, and the number of enrolled students totalled 18,690.
Its premium school capacity expanded by 2,274 seats or 10.5 per cent year-on-year during the first half of 2025-26, driven by the launch of DBS Mira and the expansion of DBS Emirates Hills (DBS Islands), supporting a 12.5 per cent YoY increase in premium enrolments.
It also manages 23 public-private partnership schools with a capacity of 30,869 and enrollments of 23,581 students. Its capacity has been reduced by 2,849 seats.
The Dubai Financial Market-listed company recorded operating revenues of Dh766.3 million. Its net profit after tax climbed 2.9 per cent year-on-year to Dh177.6 million. The reported performance predates the recent escalation in regional developments.
The company added that it maintained full operational continuity across its portfolio despite recent regional developments.
The UAE shifted to online learning due to the regional geopolitical situation and heavy rains in the country.
One of the UAE's largest education providers, Taaleem, recently applied to reopen its schools for in-person learning from as early as Monday, March 30. If approved, it could see thousands of students return to classrooms across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Khalid Al Tayer, chairman of Taaleem, said that, against the backdrop of the evolving regional environment, registration activity for the upcoming academic year is progressing in line with expectations. While this reflects the continued confidence of our parent community in the quality and consistency of Taaleem's offering, as well as the defensive characteristics of the education sector, it remains too early to assess the full impact of recent regional developments on enrolment trends. In parallel, construction of Harrow Dubai is progressing in line with plan, with the school on track to open in September 2026," he said.
Average gross tuition fees within the premium vertical increased 2.7 per cent year-on-year to Dh60,893 in H1 2025-26, reflecting approved fee uplifts across the mature portfolio, together with the natural progression of cohorts into higher grade fee bands.
This was partially offset by enrolment mix effects following the launch of DBS Mira and the ramp-up of recently added capacity, where lower-grade cohorts are onboarded at entry-level fee points.
Khaleej Times
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