Aldar to open three schools in Abu Dhabi in the next three years

The education provider will also add thousands of seats to existing schools amid expansion plans

Aldar Education will add thousands of seats to schools in Abu Dhabi over the next three years. Photo: Aldar Education

Aldar Education will open three schools in Abu Dhabi in areas that have recorded population growth over the past few years.

These include Khalifa City, Saadiyat Island and Yas Island.

The education group, owned by Aldar Properties, said it will invest Dh1 billion to diversify its schools' portfolio.

Under the investment plan, thousands of additional seats will be added to schools in Abu Dhabi over the next three years.

Through this investment, Aldar aims to increase the number of pupils in its schools to more than 40,000 by the 2024-2025 academic year.

It is looking to achieve this through a mix of greenfield and school acquisition opportunities in the premium and mid-market segments.

Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive at Aldar Properties, said it was the company's responsibility to ensure it is making a positive impact on all communities in Abu Dhabi.

“Aldar Education is one of our most critical touchpoints with the community and we want to ensure that more families can benefit from the quality education we offer in our schools,” he said.

“This latest investment will help us make notable progress in this direction and it also makes financial sense for a business that is of huge strategic importance to the group.”

Aldar Education owns nine schools under Aldar Academies and Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, and manages a further 11 schools.

To date, 80 per cent of the investment has already been committed to several different projects, including the digital transformation of its schools, further investment in education technology, and the provision of more flexible and diverse education models.

Sahar Cooper, chief executive at Aldar Education, said the education sector is going through constant change and development, and the group is keen to provide pupils with the best tools to help them thrive.

In Khalifa City, Aldar has agreed to its first school acquisition with the purchase of Al Shohub Private School.

On Yas Island, Aldar will open a school within the Noya community, located in Yas North. It will be operated by Aldar Academies.

On Saadiyat Island, the group is expanding Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Aldar will also develop another school under the Aldar Academies brand on Saadiyat Island that will cater to families in the surrounding communities that seek British curriculum education.

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