Arabic-Focused Early Education for Children Aged Two to Four Priced at Dh800 Monthly.
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is expanding its Al Ghad Nurseries network across the emirate, with plans to increase capacity to 12,000 seats by 2029. The expansion will provide thousands more Emirati children with access to high-quality, subsidised early childhood education.
The nurseries will welcome children aged two to four, providing an early learning environment centred on the Arabic language, Emirati culture, values and national identity. The programme is also designed to support children’s cognitive, social and emotional development during their formative years.
The expansion will make the programme accessible to more families across Abu Dhabi, enabling a greater number of children to benefit from high-quality early education during the crucial formative years of their development.
The expansion will be carried out in three phases, taking the total capacity of Al Ghad Nurseries to 12,000 seats by 2029. New facilities will be prioritised in communities with large numbers of Emirati children across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, helping broaden access to early childhood education throughout the emirate.
Recognising the importance of a child’s formative years, Al Ghad Nurseries focus on developing essential language, communication, social and learning skills from an early age. The programme also aims to identify potential developmental or learning needs at an early stage, allowing children to receive tailored support when it can have the greatest impact.
Early results indicate positive outcomes from the programme, with 94 per cent of participating children reaching the targeted level of Arabic-language readiness. Developmental screenings have also helped identify children who need additional assistance, with 76 per cent showing measurable improvement after receiving targeted support.
Al Ghad Nurseries currently operate in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and are available to UAE nationals and children of Emirati mothers residing within the designated areas served by each nursery. Priority is given to children of working mothers.
Under the expansion programme, eligible families will be able to enrol their children for a nominal monthly fee of Dh800. Fee exemptions will apply to low-income families registered with the Social Support Authority, children requiring additional support, the fifth child in families with five or more children, and children of working mothers without domestic help.
The expansion is also expected to generate new employment opportunities for Emirati women in the early childhood education sector. Al Ghad Nurseries already support Emirati employment through dedicated training and professional development programmes, and as the network expands, ADEK aims to create more than 1,000 additional career opportunities for Emirati women.
Increasing the number of Emirati educators in early childhood settings is expected to further strengthen Arabic-language learning, national identity and UAE values during children’s formative years, in line with ADEK’s key priorities.
The initiative will also promote children’s overall development by enabling developmental and learning needs to be identified at an early stage, while supporting family wellbeing and equipping children with the essential foundations needed to succeed in school and later life.
