Staff
The Winston Churchill-famed British school to open in Saadiyat Island in 2026. To be built under ADIO’s Musataha framework on a prime 70,000 sqm plot, with capacity for 1,800 students
Abu Dhabi, Feb 12, 2025: Taaleem Holdings a leading K-12 premium education provider in the UAE, announced plans to launch Harrow International School in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The school will be opened on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
The announcement follows approval from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). Taaleem has signed a Musataha land lease agreement for a plot on Saadiyat Island. ADIO’s Musataha programme allows UAE national investors to develop long-term infrastructure projects on public land, attracting projects that align with the Emirate’s strategic vision.
Harrow is well-known as the alma mater of Winston Churchill. Harrow Abu Dhabi joins the Harrow network that includes Harrow School in London, the associated John Lyon School (also in London), and locations in Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
DFM-listed Taaleem holds exclusive rights to own and operate Harrow International Schools across the GCC. It is expected to announce another Harrow International School in the UAE later this year. According to reliable sources, Harrow Dubai could be next subject to KHDA approval.
Harrow International School Abu Dhabi will be a value addition to Taaleem’s portfolio of 34 schools, marking the company’s entry into the super-premium education segment.
Scheduled to open its doors to students in mid-2026, Harrow Abu Dhabi will be the first Harrow International School in the GCC. The school will be built on a prime 70,000 sqm plot and will initially cater to students from Early Years to Year 6, with gradual expansion through the higher years, with a capacity of 1,800 students. Harrow Abu Dhabi is set to become the emirate’s first-ever boarding school.
Drawing on Harrow’s 450-year legacy of educational excellence, the school will offer a British curriculum and will introduce Harrow’s renowned academic approach, pastoral care and co-curricular programmes to the UAE.
An ‘Expression of Interest’ process for families and students will open shortly and will be followed by the opening of enrolments in October 2025. The school is already in the advanced design stage, led by Dubai-based educational architecture firm KODA.
Khalid Al Tayer, Chairman of Taaleem, says: “The launch of Harrow International School Abu Dhabi, the first Harrow International School in the GCC, marks our strategic expansion into the super-premium education sector, reflecting our commitment to providing educational excellence and our desire to play a leading role in shaping the future of education in the UAE. Harrow International School Abu Dhabi also aligns with the growth strategy Taaleem communicated at the time of its IPO, to invest in building new, state-of-the-art schools in high-demand communities while enhancing the quality of education for all students across the UAE.”
Mel Mrowiec, Chairman of Harrow International Schools Limited adds, “As a leading and well- respected provider of premium education in the UAE for the past 20 years, Taaleem has built a reputation for delivering world-class education through a diverse portfolio of schools, each renowned for academic excellence, innovation and a commitment to holistic student development. Our partnership represents a shared vision to bring Harrow’s outstanding, values-driven education to new communities across the GCC region. The Taaleem Harrow Schools will nurture leadership, character and academic achievement, preparing students for success in an increasingly globalised world.”
