Cultural Creativity In UAE Schools Grows As MoE And ADMAF Collaborate

The Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to link UAE schools more closely with the cultural sector, aiming to boost students’ artistic creativity and embed arts pathways that reflect Emirati national identity within the school environment.

The agreement seeks to position the UAE as a global centre for cultural innovation by enabling students and teachers to participate more directly in the country’s artistic life, while also expanding opportunities for cultural enrichment across public and private education systems.

The signing ceremony was attended by Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, and Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and Founder & Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, in the presence of Eng. Mohammed Al Qasim, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Education, alongside several officials from both organisations.

Under the MoU, the Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation plan to integrate visual and musical arts into curricula, run joint events and competitions, exchange expertise, and support professional development for arts educators, while also examining further projects that connect schools with the wider cultural scene.

The Ministry of Education states that the MoU aligns with its strategy to work with national institutions to broaden the educational offer in UAE schools, especially through structured arts and culture programmes, and the Ministry acknowledges Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation’s long-running role in developing a strong cultural environment across the country.

Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis stresses that the partnership with the Ministry of Education is intended to enhance arts education and enrich school curricula, noting that a stronger presence for music and the arts in classrooms can help embed habits of continuous creative thinking among students of different ages and backgrounds.

Alkhamis said, "At the heart of our mission is the commitment to providing creative resources as a strategic investment in the future of students, particularly in public schools. The arts are a powerful driver of innovation; they connect us with the world through the exchange of ideas and cultural dialogue. Through their complementary relationship with science, technology, engineering, the humanities and mathematics, they inspire us and open new horizons for creativity."

She added, "Together with the Ministry of Education, we contribute to deepening the integration between the educational system and the cultural sector, and to building sustainable partnerships in which creativity is the central pillar – vibrant with life, energy, ideas and vision – across Abu Dhabi and the seven emirates. We are dedicated, with all our efforts and resources, to highlighting the creativity and talent of our youth and students."

Through this collaboration, both sides intend to create a more dynamic arts presence in schools, nurture young talent across the seven emirates, and support educators, while reinforcing the UAE’s cultural identity and its ambitions to serve as a leading international centre for artistic and cultural activity.

With inputs from WAM