KHDA pauses school inspections for the second year 

Dubai, May 16, 2025: Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has announced that no inspections will be conducted for Dubai private schools for the academic year 2025-26 with the exception of new schools that will complete their third year of operation during the next academic year.  This will be the second consecutive year that Dubai schools will not undergo inspections. 

The decision, the regulator says, “is part of an evolving approach to supporting quality education in the emirate.”  

Instead of full inspections, KHDA will carry out targeted visits that focus on specific areas related to educational quality and ongoing development, informed by community feedback. Schools must also continue to administer external benchmark assessments and regularly submit Self-Evaluation Forms (SEFs) to monitor student progress.   

Fatma Ibrahim Belrehif, CEO of the Education Quality Assurance and Compliance Agency at KHDA says, “Dubai’s private schools have consistently demonstrated resilience, innovation and a deep commitment to students’ learning and well-being. The suspension of inspections next year will allow for greater collaboration and reflection on how we define and support quality in education. Through targeted visits and ongoing engagement with schools, we will ensure that every child in Dubai continues to receive a high quality education that aligns with the goals of our leadership and the Education 33 strategy.”  

Impact on school fee 

Typically the rate by which schools can increase their fees has been directly tied to KHDA inspection ratings. With no new ratings for the 2024-2025 academic year and now none planned for 2025–26, all schools could apply to increase fees based only on the Education Cost Index (ECI) of 2.35% for the 2025-2026 academic year.