The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has put mastery of artificial intelligence on the same list as critical thinking and financial literacy in a new National Education Charter, as the government moves to align learning outcomes with fast-changing skills needs and strategic sectors of the economy.
The Ministry of Education said the charter, launched by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Emirati Day for Education, is designed as a shared national commitment that sets the direction of education and defines the desired profile of UAE learners.
Officials said the charter aims to create a unified national vision that supports stability and consistency in education policy, strengthens coordination across the system, and links education outcomes more closely to labour-market requirements and long-term national planning.
The charter is built around three pillars.
The first pillar focuses on national identity, including pride in the Arabic language, grounding in Islamic values, and traits such as integrity, generosity, humility, respect, kindness, resilience, initiative, and perseverance, alongside commitment to family.
The second pillar outlines learner attributes such as self-management and discipline, teamwork, confidence, physical and mental well-being, cultural awareness, and lifelong learning.
The third pillar targets future skills, including critical thinking, communication, literacy, creativity, numeracy, financial literacy, and AI mastery, reflecting the UAE’s push to prepare students for technology-driven work and society.
The ministry said implementation will be embedded in curriculum development, teacher training, school leadership and student support systems, with deeper partnerships with families and communities.
It added that the charter was developed through a national process involving more than 200 representatives from 31 federal, local and private entities, as well as educators, parents and students.
Naming AI explicitly suggests the UAE wants AI competence to move from an “extra” to a baseline skill, similar to literacy and numeracy, which could shape curricula, assessment and hiring expectations over time.