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Globally, the past decade has seen a surge of interest in early childhood education. Similarly, in Dubai, the education sector has seen a rapid growth in the past ten years. Overall, there is a high rate of enrollment of Emirati children in the kindergartens, with over 70% enrolled in the private sector, while only 5% of age-eligible Emirati children in Dubai are enrolled in nurseries. However, public provision of nurseries is more scarce, with only two nurseries catering to 43 Emirati children.

In its role as a regulator of the education sector in Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has conducted an in-depth study of the early childhood education sector, on which this brief is based. The brief will provide a description of the pre-school educational landscape in Dubai, and the challenges facing its further development, along with policy recommendations to address the current needs in the sector.