Special curriculum

Dubai is home to the largest Chinese community in the Middle East, with a population of over 300,000 Chinese.

For years, families had to choose between local international schools or sending their children back to China for their education. The opening of the nonprofit Chinese school in 2020 ended the dilemma.

It is the first overseas school following China's national basic curriculum.

Overseen by the Chinese Ministry of Education and operated by Hangzhou No 2 High School, one of Zhejiang province's top educational institutions, it combines the strengths of Chinese pedagogy with a global outlook.

The curriculum blends core Chinese subjects with Arabic, sociology and ethics. The small classes are capped at 24 students, which enables personalized attention for its 500 pupils attending kindergarten through to grade nine.

"Chinese education offers discipline and depth, while Dubai fosters openness. We combine both," said Zheng, the principal.

Inside the school's maroon and cream-colored buildings, the lobbies and classrooms are decorated with Chinese and Arabian handicrafts made by students. They include calligraphy scrolls, paintings and poems written in both languages.

"Over the past five years, we have adhered to the belief that establishing this school is a project aimed at cultivating more overseas talents who can preserve and pass on Chinese culture," said Zheng. "Our goal is to cultivate students rooted in Dubai with a global vision," she added.

"We have striven to integrate traditional Chinese culture into teaching, which not only enhances students' competencies and international competitiveness, but also plants the seeds of a deep appreciation of Chinese culture in their hearts," she said.

In 2023, Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority awarded the school a "good" rating — the highest for any new Dubai school in its inaugural assessment. "It showcases Chinese education's strengths while enriching Dubai's educational diversity," said KHDA's director general Aisha Abdulla Miran.

Hu Yiyao, 37, enrolled her 9-year-old daughter at the school last year. She said her child seems more confident and happy after leaving an international school.

"My daughter now understands her roots — her hair, her skin and her family story," she said, adding that she plans to send her son to the Chinese School Dubai this September.

The school's academic achievements are also impressive. At the recent 2025 Purple Comet Math Meet, a team from the school won first place in the UAE and ranked 38th among 1,047 teams participating worldwide.

Team member Bao Hafu, 15, will graduate from grade nine soon and plans to enroll in a United States-curriculum high school in Dubai.

The Dubai-born boy used to study at an international school. "The teachers in international schools say, 'you are great', 'everything is great'. This school encourages you, but tells you where you need to improve and that is much more helpful," the teenager said.