Dubai: Reopening date announced for schools attended by Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikh Maktoum

Two of Dubai’s historic schools, where even members of royalty have received their education, are set to reopen in autumn 2024.

Rashid School for Boys and Latifa School for Girls were closed in 2020 for redevelopment.

A significant component of the new strategy involves the unification of Rashid School for Boys (RSB) and Latifa School for Girls (LSG) under one umbrella, with a joint-leadership structure and a new shared name: Rashid and Latifa School (RLS).

The newly formed RLS will provide single-gender education to students from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 13, with girls attending classes at the LSG site and boys at the RSB site.

The Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment, which oversees both institutions, has announced that construction work will commence in autumn, and the schools plan to admit their first pupils 12 months after that.

Located in Nad Al Sheba, two of Dubai’s oldest schools, Latifa School for Girls (LSG) and Rashid School for Boys (RSB), were established in 1982 and 1986, respectively.

LSG offers the British curriculum and the Arabic and Islamic curriculum approved by the education ministry here, while RSB is accredited by British Schools Overseas (BSO) and British Schools in the Middle East (BSME).

Notably, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, is an alumnus of Rashid School. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Minister of Finance, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, are also alumni.

Additionally, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Women’s Establishment, and Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, attended the Latifa School for Girls.

Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Education and Chairman of Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment’s Board of Trustees, notes, “When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai tasked us with this initiative, he made one-point crystal clear to the trustees: that RSB and LSG should offer a transformative educational experience, one that transcends the traditional and serves as an incubator for the future leaders of the nation.

Our plans and the resources accompanying them are focused on this one goal, and we are confident that we will achieve His Highness’ vision for the schools, through comprehensive development and setting plans that enable students to manage their education by exposure to real challenges, mastering skills and project-based learning, and providing an educational environment that focuses on the student and looks forward to the future.

The physical environment, empowered by technology, shall go hand-in-hand with the learning contexts, offering intuitive pathways that drive personal growth and development.”

Shedding light on the school’s reopening timelines, Dr Al Falasi adds, “We wish to embrace the aspirations of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in this ‘Year of Sustainability’ by positioning Rashid and Latifa School as a global centre of excellence for sustainability in education.

To this end, the school will be an international leader in terms of design, materials, equipment, information technology infrastructure, and use of outdoor spaces for learning and inspiration. Construction of Rashid and Latifa School is expected to break ground in Autumn this year, with the first phase of the school welcoming its new cohort of students from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 4 in September 2024.’’

RLS has also appointed noted international educator Emma Nolan as principal of the school. A British national, Nolan has worked in education for over two decades, with extensive experience setting up pioneering bilingual and multi-lingual schools in the UK, China and the UAE.

Nolan has previously served as the founding principal of a Nord Anglia bilingual school in China and, most recently, as principal of Al Danah Charter School with Aldar Education in Abu Dhabi, helping to forge the future of Emirati students through this pioneering and impactful project.

“I am delighted to embrace this new challenge and opportunity and be part of such a prestigious project inspired by the ideals of Dubai’s visionary leadership.” said Nolan.

“Our journey is only beginning as we aim to grow caring, ambitious, healthy, and enterprising young people, ready to learn throughout their lives and equipped to play their part as leading ethical members of society. It will be a school not just renowned for its incredible academic profile but also for the exceptional contribution our students make to Dubai, to the UAE and the rest of the world,” she added.

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