Dubai’s private education sector has achieved a major milestone, securing a position among the world’s top 10 education systems across all domains evaluated in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This accomplishment aligns with the core objectives of the Dubai Education 33 Strategy, reinforcing the emirate’s status as a premier destination for academic excellence.
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, praised the results. He noted that the success reflects the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to prioritize human development and global competitiveness through education.
Highlighting the importance of these results, Sheikh Hamdan stated, “We begin the new academic year with an achievement that reflects the strength and continued progress of Dubai’s education system.” He emphasized that investing in knowledge remains a top priority to ensure Emirati youth are equipped with the skills and confidence to contribute to the nation’s future. He further directed the Knowledge and Human Development Authority to accelerate system development and continue enhancing educational outcomes.
The 2025 assessment results show significant global standing for Dubai’s private schools: they ranked sixth in reading with an average of 501 points, and eighth in both mathematics and science, with scores of 511 and 522, respectively. Additionally, the schools placed ninth globally in the newly introduced domain of computational problem solving, scoring 534 points—a performance that surpassed the OECD average by 34 points.
These figures represent a marked improvement over the 2022 cycle, where the schools ranked ninth in mathematics, thirteenth in reading, and fourteenth in science. Since first participating in PISA in 2009, Dubai’s private schools have demonstrated consistent growth across six assessment cycles, with cumulative average score increases of 37 points in mathematics, 22 in reading, and 36 in science.
Emirati students specifically showed notable gains in the 2025 assessment compared to 2022, improving their average scores by 31 points in mathematics, 30 points in science, and 18 points in reading. Across various curricula, students in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools performed the strongest, achieving averages of 557 in science, 542 in mathematics, and 538 in reading.
The PISA 2025 assessment, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), evaluated 15-year-old students on their ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts. A total of 9,600 students from 168 private schools in Dubai participated, contributing to a global cohort of over 760,000 students from more than 90 countries and economies.
Sheikh Hamdan extended his congratulations to the entire education community, including teachers, parents, and students, expressing confidence in their continued dedication to excellence. He affirmed that the goal remains to provide every student in Dubai with a high-quality education that opens doors to future opportunities and strengthens the UAE’s global position. The report also notes that he said, “We have great confidence in everyone working with dedication to achieve new accomplishments for Dubai and its people. The report also notes that computational problem solving assesses students’ ability to use computational tools and practices to explore ideas, build knowledge and solve complex problems, introduced as a new domain in PISA 2025. The report also notes that and Ruler of Dubai, continues to place education at the heart of human development and shaping the future, recognising it as a key pillar of sustainable development and the country’s global competitiveness. The report also notes that our goal remains clear and unwavering. The report also notes that sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed added, “Dubai’s ambition knows no limits, and every achievement is a starting point for an even greater one.