Dubai’s Emirates International School (EIS) will no longer allow students to use mobile phones during class hours, school owner and billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor announced over the weekend.
The new rule, introduced just days before the start of the academic year, aims to create “a more focused and disciplined educational environment,” Al Habtoor said in a video posted on his X account.
“Students will have to hand over their phones to the management or not bring them to school. This will not be allowed at all until they finish their classes, then get them back,” he emphasized.
EIS’ directive comes as part of a broader effort in the UAE to regulate student phone use. Public schools already enforce strict bans, with repeated violations leading to confiscations lasting until the end of the academic year. Some private schools also impose similar restrictions.
Al Habtoor urged other schools to follow suit, stressing the importance of balancing modern technology with cultural and moral values. “I call upon all schools in the country to follow the example of Emirates International School, as we are all partners in building a generation that knows how to balance technology and values, and knowledge and identity,” he said.
Alongside the mobile phone ban, EIS will also increase its emphasis on Arabic in the curriculum, underscoring its role in preserving cultural identity and belonging. This move echoes recent changes introduced by the UAE Ministry of Education, which include more classroom time for Arabic and Islamic studies, as well as a new baseline Arabic assessment for Grade 1 students.
EIS operates two campuses in Dubai, in Jumeirah and Meadows, with the Jumeirah branch established in 1991 under the Al Habtoor Group.
