Safeguarding in UAE international schools: a DSL guide

The UAE has no single school regulator. The Ministry of Education (MoE) covers the federal level, and several emirates add their own. The u.ae government portal lists them.

In Abu Dhabi, ADEK licenses and supervises private schools. In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) oversees quality, and its inspection bureau rates schools. In Sharjah, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) grants licences.

Ras Al Khaimah has its own Department of Knowledge. Schools in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah answer to the Ministry of Education.

Accreditors sit on top of the licence. ADEK's Quality Assurance Policy asks schools to hold accreditation, authorisation or affiliation that matches their curriculum. Your school may also hold status from the Council of International Schools (CIS), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) or the International Baccalaureate (IB).

The main law is Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights, known as Wadeema's Law. ADEK defines a child as any UAE resident under 18. Its policies also cite Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on Crimes and Penalties and Federal Decree-Law No. 18 of 2020 on Private Education.

ADEK turns these laws into school rules. Its Student Protection Policy covers private and charter schools in Abu Dhabi. Schools had to comply by the 2025/26 year, and each school must name a Child Protection Coordinator and report that choice to ADEK every year.

ADEK also publishes a Safeguarding Policy, with compliance due from 1 February 2026. It asks schools to appoint a Safeguarding Committee or Lead, and to give induction training to governors, staff and volunteers.

Other emirates may set different rules. This guide did not find KHDA's current reporting steps for Dubai. Ask KHDA for them before you copy anything from Abu Dhabi.

In Abu Dhabi the duty is clear. ADEK says all school staff and volunteers are mandated reporters under Article 42 of the 2016 law. The duty covers harm inside and outside school.

ADEK's policy says staff must report suspected maltreatment to ADEK's Child Protection Unit within 24 hours of suspicion. The same policy has staff tell the Child Protection Coordinator at once, and the coordinator files ADEK's online Safety Concern Form. If staff cannot reach the coordinator, they can file the form themselves.

The Ministry of Education goes wider. Its Child Protection Unit page says it is your duty to report any suspected child abuse. It adds that parents, school staff and community members can face legal accountability if they do not.

ADEK also protects people who report. Its policy says staff must not be hindered or penalised for reporting.

The Ministry page does not say which schools it covers, and this guide found no school-specific reporting step for Dubai. Ask local counsel and your regulator which route applies. Mandatory reporting laws for international schools compares other countries.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999, the police number, then tell your DSL. ADEK's process has the Child Protection Coordinator report emergencies to the police and the principal without delay.

For other concerns, the Ministry of Interior runs the Child Protection Centre. You can also report through its website or the Hemayati app. The u.ae portal lists these channels and was updated on 1 October 2026.

• 999: police emergency. Call it first if a child is in immediate danger.
• 116111: Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre.
• 80085: Ministry of Education Child Protection Unit.
• 800444: Family Care Authority in Abu Dhabi, as listed in ADEK's policy.
• 800988: Community Development Authority (CDA), as listed by u.ae.
• 800111: Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, open 24 hours in Arabic and English.

Standards built on the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) ask staff to pass any concern to the DSL. Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) does the same in England. KCSIE has no legal force in the UAE.

The names differ. ADEK writes about student protection and maltreatment, and it calls the lead a Child Protection Coordinator. Put your DSL and your coordinator on one page so staff see who does what.

The timing differs, because ADEK says report within 24 hours of suspicion. One rule fits both. Staff tell the DSL at once, and the DSL files any external report inside 24 hours.

Bullying has its own track. ADEK sends most bullying cases to the Ministry of Education's national bullying policy. Severe bullying counts as maltreatment and follows the student protection process.

Allegations against staff follow set steps. ADEK tells principals to suspend a staff member suspected of a maltreatment offence until the matter is decided. See managing allegations against staff, and ask counsel before you act.

The main data law is Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data. It took effect on 2 January 2022. It covers data handled by electronic systems, inside or outside the UAE, according to the u.ae portal.

Handling personal data needs the person's consent, with exceptions such as public interest and legal procedures. The law also sets rules for sending data across borders. This guide could not confirm the status of its executive regulations or whether any data must stay in the UAE, so ask counsel before you move records abroad.

ADEK adds school rules. Its Digital Policy says contractor agreements must stop personal data being shared, inside or outside the country, without ADEK's explicit consent. Schools must also tell vendors that the data law applies to them.

ADEK's Records Policy lists student protection cases among required student records. Its Student Protection Policy says case data goes only to authorised ADEK and Family Care Authority staff, investigative teams and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Ask counsel how long to keep safeguarding files.

More than 200 nationalities live in the UAE, according to u.ae. Your staff and families speak many languages. Write the reporting route in every language your staff read, so drivers, guards and cleaners can follow it.

ADEK asks schools to run a cultural induction for all new staff. Its Cultural Consideration Policy also asks schools to vet teaching resources for fit with UAE culture. Run your personal safety lessons through that check, and ask your Head whether parents need advance notice.

Corporal punishment needs a clear rule. ADEK's Student Behavior Policy forbids it in Abu Dhabi private and charter schools. The Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children reports that Article 2.2 of the 2016 law recognises parents' right to discipline at home (report updated February 2024).

ADEK's Student Protection Policy asks for criminal record checks from the countries a candidate is hired from. A UAE certificate will not show records from other countries, so ask for checks from every country a candidate has lived in. See safer recruitment for international schools.

Work through these steps in your first month. Share the list with your Head and your deputy DSL.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and hotline numbers change, so confirm current law with local counsel and the relevant authority. The pages were read on 19 October 2026.

• Find out which regulator licenses your school and read its current child protection rules.
• Ask your Head which accreditations and curricula your school holds.
• Name your DSL, your deputy and, in Abu Dhabi, your Child Protection Coordinator on one page.
• Write one reporting route with 999, 116111, 80085 and your emirate's numbers.
• Check your contractors' data terms and where each supplier stores safeguarding records.
• Ban corporal punishment in writing for staff and contractors.
• Ask local counsel to confirm each legal point here before you rely on it.