Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)

Name

Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)

Legal name

Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)

Website

https://khda.gov.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Regulatory Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Governance & Board Administration (EDAJAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Federal Reporting, Accountability & Audit Readiness (EDAJAHAF), Privacy, Data Governance & Security Compliance (FERPA, GDPR, etc.) (EDAJAHAO), Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)

Keywords

• Education regulatory services
• School quality assurance
• Private education oversight
• Education licensing
• Scholarship program management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory fees and licensing: KHDA charges fees for certificate attestation, school licensing, and regulatory services. As a government authority, its primary revenue is government-funded with fee-based services supporting private education oversight.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KHDA is the government authority responsible for regulating, licensing, and improving the quality of private education in Dubai from early childhood through higher education. It delivers regulatory services through dedicated digital portals for education providers and parents/students, conducts school inspections, sets curriculum and fee frameworks, and administers scholarship and life skills programmes aligned with the Education 33 Strategy.

Product overview

KHDA is the regulatory authority for private education in Dubai, overseeing the sector from early childhood through higher education. Its product portfolio consists primarily of regulatory platforms and service portals rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the Student Self-Service Portal and Education Provider Services Portal for administrative transactions, the Skills for Life Framework for life skills development across 8 domains, the Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme and Dubai Distinguished Students Programme for Emirati student support, Certificate Attestation Services for credential verification, the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) for quality assurance, Home-Based Learning Services for early childhood education alternatives, and the Education Directory for institutional discovery. Advisory councils (Dubai Students Council, Dubai Parents Council, Dubai Educators Council) provide governance input, while Life Camps and Financial Literacy initiatives support Skills for Life implementation. No public API exists; the Schools Inspection System is internal-only.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Self-Service Portal (Knowledge Portal) Online portal for parents and students offering services including parent-school contract signing, certificate attestation, transfer certificate requests, and other student-related administrative services.
• Education Provider Services Portal (KHDA Portal) Portal for educational institutions to access licensing services, advertisement approvals, fee management, and other school administrative and compliance services.
• Skills for Life Framework Integrated life skills ecosystem covering 8 domains — healthy lifestyles, nutrition and food practices, daily life and independence, financial and consumer practices, social and relationship practices, mental resilience and agency, digital life practices, and sustainability — designed for learners from early childhood through higher education.
• Hamdan bin Mohammed Scholarship Programme Fully funded scholarship programme offering 100 scholarships annually with a total budget of Dh1.1 billion, enabling outstanding Emirati graduates to pursue bachelor's degrees at leading global universities in future-focused fields.
• Dubai Distinguished Students Programme Programme providing educational opportunities for high-performing Emirati students in Dubai private schools. Third cohort announced for 2026-2027 with 333 scholarships.
• Certificate Attestation Services Attestation of school certificates and higher education certificates issued by Dubai private schools and higher education institutions.
• Home-Based Learning Services Regulated home-based learning alternatives including Center-Led Home Learning (CLHL) Hubs and one-to-one educators for children aged 0-6, deployed during distance learning periods.
• Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) School inspection framework evaluating quality of private education in Dubai. Resumed inspections in 2026-27 with 24-hour notice requirement, replacing longer-notice system.
• Education Directory Searchable directory of educational institutions in Dubai including schools, early childhood centres, higher education institutions, and training institutes.
• Life Camps Programme Summer programmes offering life skills development opportunities for students, part of Skills for Life connected initiatives under Education 33 Strategy.
• Study in Dubai – nol ISIC Student Card Multi-purpose digital student card combining student identification with nol transit card functionality, enabling students to access education-related services and transit through the RTA-KHDA-Parkin-PayPal partnership.
• School Fee Framework Framework governing school fee adjustments, including Education Cost Index calculations and exceptional fee increase guidelines for private schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dubai's private schools ranked 6th globally in PIRLS 2021 for reading skills and top 5 globally in TIMSS science
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TECOM Group (Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026KHDA collaborates with TECOM Group which operates Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park — home to more than 38,500 students from over 170 nationalities, with universities including University of Birmingham Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai, and Heriot-Watt University Dubai. The collaboration supports initiatives including Study Dubai and the Higher Education Leadership Network.
• Study Dubai Initiative PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026KHDA supports the Study Dubai initiative which promotes Dubai as a global education hub, working with universities and government entities to attract international students and support the higher education sector's growth.
• Parkin Company PJSCcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 May 2026KHDA and Parkin signed a strategic partnership to digitize parking subscription services for educational institutions across Dubai, replacing manual approval and document submission with an integrated real-time eligibility verification system. Parkin offers discounted educational parking at AED 100 per month or AED 1,000 annually. The collaboration supports Dubai's Education 33 Strategy and digital transformation goals for the education sector.
• Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Leadership Directive)coreOthers · 1 May 2026Under Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's leadership directive, KHDA confirmed no private school fee hikes for 2026-27 and announced a Dh1.5 billion economic incentives package for schools including deferred licence fees, fines exemptions, and rent support. This directive supports sector stability while easing financial pressure on families.
• International Exam Boards (IB, Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, OxfordAQA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Major international exam boards cancelled traditional written examinations in the UAE for 2026 citing security concerns. KHDA responded by issuing guidance to parents and coordinating contingency plans with schools for portfolio-based evidence collection and continuous assessment.
• Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026KHDA and Dubai Foundation for Women and Children signed an MOU to strengthen cooperation in supporting families and students across Dubai. The partnership focuses on community awareness programs, positive parenting guidance, and coordinated case follow-up, aligning with Dubai's Year of the Family initiative, Social Agenda 33, and Education 33 Strategy. Both parties will combine expertise and resources to launch joint research, training programs, and awareness initiatives through schools and specialized professionals.
• Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025RTA partnered with KHDA, Parkin PJSC, and PayPal during GITEX Global 2025 to transform the nol transit card into a multi-purpose payment solution. The KHDA collaboration enables nol card users to access education-related services via the new 'Study in Dubai – nol ISIC' student card.
• Socially-Driven Private Education InvestorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025KHDA announced a strategy to reduce private school tuition fees by offering government incentives to socially-driven investors, including subsidized land and teacher housing. The plan, unveiled by Director General Aisha Abdulla Miran at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum 2025, is part of the Education 33 Strategy targeting 100 new private schools by 2033.
• Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025KHDA and Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation signed an MOU to strengthen discovery of gifted and talented students, supporting scholarship programmes and student excellence initiatives in Dubai's private education sector.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Singapore Ministry of Education: Singapore's MoE sets curriculum, teacher quality, and assessment standards for a system often cited as a benchmark. It is a broad incumbent in education governance whose policy choices are referenced by KHDA leadership for the Skills for Life and Education 33 frameworks.
• UK Department for Education: The UK DfE sets national standards for schools, qualifications, and teacher training that influence Dubai's British-curriculum schools. It is a broad incumbent reference for KHDA's policy development and is referenced in KHDA's award submissions.
• UAE Ministry of Education: The federal Ministry of Education sets national education policy, curriculum standards, and mandatory subject requirements referenced by KHDA. It is a broader incumbent that operates at the federal level rather than at emirate level, with KHDA implementing its guidance at the Dubai-private-sector layer.

Others

• Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) / TECOM Group: TECOM Group operates Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park, which are home to 38,500+ students across 170+ nationalities. KHDA collaborates with TECOM on Study Dubai and the Higher Education Leadership Network, making TECOM an adjacent enabling partner within Dubai's education ecosystem.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): IB sets one of the major curriculum standards used in Dubai private schools. KHDA coordinates with IB on exam administration, security-related cancellations, and curriculum guidance, making it an ecosystem peer whose decisions directly shape the regulatory landscape KHDA oversees.
• British Schools Overseas (BSO): BSO is the UK government framework for inspecting British international schools, including those in Dubai. KHDA works alongside BSO in schools that offer a British curriculum, making it a complementary inspection/quality peer rather than a competitor.
• Cambridge Assessment International Education: Cambridge International is one of the major examination boards operating in Dubai private schools. KHDA coordinates with Cambridge on assessment policies and contingency arrangements, making it a curriculum/exam-ecosystem peer rather than a direct regulator.
• Dubai Future Foundation: Dubai Future Foundation is a Dubai government entity shaping the emirate's future-readiness agenda including AI, education, and skills. KHDA's Digital AI Framework under Education 33 aligns with Dubai Future Foundation priorities, making it an adjacent policy peer within the Dubai government ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK): ADEK is Abu Dhabi's equivalent private education regulator, with parallel responsibilities for school licensing, inspection, curriculum approval, and quality assurance. It is the most directly comparable counterpart to KHDA, operating across the adjacent emirate with similar statutory scope over private schools and higher education institutions.
• Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA): SPEA regulates private education in Sharjah, performing the same licensing, inspection, and oversight role as KHDA but for the Sharjah market. It is a regional peer with directly comparable scope and operating model in the same country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/khda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KHDAShare
• Facebookfacebook.com/khdaofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knowledge-&-human-development-authority/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/khdadubai
• TikToktiktok.com/@khdadubai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)