UAE Schools to Reopen April 20 After Seven-Week Closure During US-Iran Conflict
Summary
The United Arab Emirates will resume in-person schooling on April 20, ending a seven-week closure triggered by Iranian missile and drone strikes on the Gulf state, as a US-Iran ceasefire that began April 7 continues to hold.
The education ministry’s announcement marks one of the clearest normalization signals since the conflict began in late February, when a US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran prompted retaliatory strikes that hit UAE territory. Schools shifted to distance learning on March 2, with closures extended through April 17 for all nurseries, public, and private institutions. The reopening follows what authorities described as the completion of safety and security readiness plans.
The disruption has carried significant consequences for the country’s 11 million residents, most of whom are foreign nationals. Thousands of secondary students face uncertainty after International Baccalaureate, A-Level, and GCSE exams were canceled, with exam boards directing schools to use alternative grading methods. Some families left the country temporarily in the early days of the conflict despite the UAE intercepting the vast majority of incoming projectiles.
Schools have spent the closure period implementing lockdown protocols, establishing safe zones, and setting up real-time coordination channels with civil authorities, according to Bloomberg. Wall Street firms with Gulf operations also allowed staff to relocate during the hostilities, though finance professionals began planning returns within hours of the ceasefire announcement.
The truce is set to expire early next week, but the US and Iran are reportedly considering a two-week extension to allow more time for peace negotiations.