 The school system in Dubai follows that of the United Arab Emirates . As of 2009 , there are 79 public schools run by the Ministry of Education that serve Emiratis and expatriate Arab people as well as 145 private schools . The medium of instruction in public schools is Arabic with emphasis on English as a second language , while most of the private schools use English as their medium of instruction . Most private schools cater to one or more expatriate communities . 
