Taaleem to Open Second Harrow International School

Taaleem Holdings (Taaleem) a leading K-12 premium education provider in the UAE with a portfolio of 38 schools and listed on the Dubai Financial Markets (DFM), in partnership with the UK’s 450-year-old Harrow international Schools Limited (HISL), on Sunday announced its plans to launch a second Harrow International School, in Dubai.

Taaleem’s first school will be opened in partnership with HISL and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi following approval from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and the signing of a Musataha land lease agreement for a plot on Saadiyat Island.

The latest announcement to open second school follows the initial approval from the Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the signing of a land lease agreement on Hessa Street of a prime 50,000 sq. m. plot with capacity for 1,800 students. The school is set to operate with the start of the academic year 2026.

Harrow Dubai will feature state-of-the-art facilities designed to provide an outstanding educational experience. The school will join the prestigious Harrow family, offering a British-style curriculum deeply rooted in a long-standing tradition of academic excellence and leadership development.

The campus, designed by the renowned KODA architects, will include purpose-built classrooms, sports and arts facilities, and leadership programs that embody Harrow’s core values and standards, Taaleem Holdings CEO Alan Williamson said this in a disclosure with DFM this morning.

The value-accretive addition of Harrow Dubai will not only enhance Taaleem’s portfolio but also strengthen its resilience through further diversification of educational options, ensuring sustained value for our stakeholders, he said.

Taaleem-HISL Agreement

It may be recalled that Taaleem has signed an agreement with HISL in July last year to widen access to a Harrow education through a group of Harrow International Schools across the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the first of these Taaleem Harrow Schools are planned to open in the UAE.

Under this agreement, Taaleem Holdings will bring Harrow’s exceptional standards of education to the GCC region, enriched with local cultural elements to provide a holistic learning experience.

The Taaleem Harrow Schools will be privately and independently owned and operated by Taaleem, whose 31 schools currently educate nearly 38,000 students and employ highly experienced teaching staff from across the world.

The Taaleem Harrow Schools will use Harrow School’s Name and Badge in return for a fee under a sub-licence granted by HISL, a trading subsidiary of the charity which owns Harrow School and its trademarks.

The charity is committed to public benefit and has a number of charitable aims, including widening access to Harrow School and John Lyon School by increasing bursary funding. HISL helps to fund this through its income.

Although the educational, administrative, financial and other operational responsibilities of the Taaleem Harrow Schools rest solely with Taaleem, they will be required under their sub-licences to reflect Harrow School’s educational purpose, practice, strategy and philosophy, tailored to the needs of their students and locations, as per the agreement.

HISL will oversee this requirement through its oversight teams. These teams conduct regular reviews of each Harrow-branded school against carefully articulated Harrow Standards, and the schools’ Governing Boards also include two HISL representatives.

HISL’s campuses are located in China in eight different cities in mainland China besides one each in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand.