His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today attended the inauguration of the Chinese School Dubai (CSD), the first Chinese public school to be established outside China.

His Highness welcomed the school’s opening saying it further strengthens the UAE’s strong cultural ties with China and the deep bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Amidst the prevailing circumstances, Dubai Government is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students, teachers and staff of all private schools in Dubai, Sheikh Mansoor said. His Highness also praised the efforts of all government organisations and private schools that collaborated to develop protocols for ensuring the safety of students in accordance with the internationally benchmarked precautionary measures approved by the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai.

Sheikh Mansoor toured the school located in Mirdif, which will serve up to 2,000 students. It will follow the model of Hangzhou No. 2 High School, an internationally renowned school based in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province.

His Highness reviewed the teaching methodologies of the school that will reflect the Chinese national curriculum.  In addition to the curriculum, students will study Arabic, Islamic studies and moral education. School officials and teachers were directly recruited by the Hangzhou Education Bureau.

The inauguration ceremony, attended by Sheikh Mansoor, featured a short video about the school that will mainly focus on serving the Chinese community in the emirate. The school will also accept students of other nationalities living in Dubai. Sheikh Mansoor unveiled a commemorative plaque at the inauguration event.

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said: “The beginning of the new school academic year has brought with it a new educational paradigm as well as a new phase in Sino-UAE relations. The inauguration of the Chinese School Dubai not only facilitates quality education for students but also serves the broader community,” Al Karam said. “We are proud that Dubai has been chosen as the location for the first public Chinese school outside China. The school will provide a window into Chinese culture and civilization,” he added.

The inauguration was attended by His Excellency Helal Al Marri, Director General of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; His Excellency Ahmed Abdulkarim Julfar, Director General of the Community Development Authority;  His Excellency Ni Jian, the Chinese Ambassador to the UAE; His Excellency Li Xuhang, Chinese Consul General in Dubai; and Yin Liping, Principal of the Chinese School Dubai.

The opening of CSD will offer new schooling options for the 200,000 Chinese nationals living in Dubai. The addition of Chinese School Dubai brings the number of curricula offered by Dubai’s private school sector to 18.