Private schools in Dubai have entered the global top 10 across reading, mathematics, science and computational problem-solving, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment 2025. The United Arab Emirates ranked above every other Arab country in reading, science and mathematics. It was also one of only eight among 91 participating countries and economies to improve its performance since the previous assessment in 2022.

Dubai's private schools moved from ninth to eighth place in mathematics, from 13th to sixth in reading and from 14th to eighth in science. At emirate level, Dubai scored 506 in science, 496 in mathematics and 484 in reading. These results were respectively 48, 43 and 51 points higher than the UAE's national averages.

National results, however, remained below the overall averages recorded in the assessment. The UAE scored 458 in science against an average of 482, 428 in reading against 461 and 453 in mathematics against 463. Its computational problem-solving score was 476, compared with an assessment average of 500, showing that further improvement is still needed.

A total of 34,639 pupils from 1,070 UAE schools took part in the review, which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conducts every three years for 15-year-old students. More than 96 percent of participating UAE pupils attended schools with subject-specific rules for digital device use, compared with an international average above 71 percent. Education Minister Sarah Al Amiri credited institutions, teachers, staff and pupils for the country's progress.