Teach in United Arab Emirates
25 agencies in this directory say they recruit teachers for schools in United Arab Emirates, including Anderson Quigley, Recruitment Education Global Services and Spencer Group.
Recruitment agency · London, United Kingdom
Recruiter for international school teaching roles; candidates create a free account to apply
Recruitment agency
Says it places teachers, professors and trainers in international schools, universities and training academies in 36+ countries
Search firm / recruitment fairs
Advises international schools on Head, Principal and senior leadership appointments
Recruitment agency
Offers an international recruitment service for schools hiring teachers, plus a teaching job board
Recruitment agency
Specialist recruitment service connecting international schools with experienced educators and leaders
Job board
Job board and school directory for teaching jobs abroad (claims 600+ schools in 150+ countries in its directory)
Recruitment agency · Bridge of Weir, United Kingdom
Recruits teachers for international schools, primarily in the Middle East and also East Asia, Australasia, Europe and North Africa
Recruitment agency · United Kingdom
Matches teachers with roles in schools around the world; says it has helped more than 8,000 teachers into jobs since 2004
Recruitment agency
Describes itself as a specialist in international education recruitment with a teacher-matching service and job board
Recruitment agency · Ottawa, Canada
Places teachers in schools in the Middle East and Asia, many on British or American curricula
Search firm / recruitment fairs · Cape Town, South Africa
Established 2007; runs recruitment fairs and a recruitment/events department for institutions in the Gulf and Asia
Recruitment agency · Vancouver, Canada
Says it has placed over 10,000 teachers since 2001, across Asia, the Middle East and beyond
Recruitment agency · London, United Kingdom
Recruits for UK schools and for schools in the GCC region
Recruitment platform
Teacher-hiring platform and app for international schools; says registration is free with no agency fees
Recruitment agency · Holywood, United Kingdom
Recruits teachers and school leaders for international schools in the UAE and wider GCC
Recruitment agency
Places English-speaking qualified primary and secondary teachers in international schools
Recruitment agency · Cape Town, South Africa
Places South African teachers in Western Cape schools and abroad since 1994
Recruitment agency · London, United Kingdom
Connects qualified teachers with schools in Dubai and the wider Middle East
Recruitment agency · South Africa
Recruits K-12 English-speaking graduate teachers and other professionals for schools and companies in the Middle East, Far East, South East Asia, Europe and UK
Recruitment agency · Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Connects international schools with educators; services include permanent, supply and executive recruitment
Recruitment agency
Places teaching staff in international schools across the Middle East
Recruitment agency · United Kingdom
Places teachers and leaders in schools across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the wider UAE
Search firm / recruitment fairs · London, United Kingdom
UK schools executive search firm with an international schools sector page
Search firm / recruitment fairs · Letchworth Garden City, United Kingdom
Executive search firm recruiting Headteachers, Principals and senior leadership teams for UK and international schools
Recruitment agency
Advertises teaching and leadership roles in eight Middle Eastern countries
The UAE does not have one national route into private-school teaching. Each emirate has its own regulator, so the rules you meet depend on where the school sits. In Dubai the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) controls who may teach in private schools, and in Abu Dhabi the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) licenses and oversees them.
This page leans on Dubai, because KHDA publishes its teacher-appointment rules in full. For Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate, use it as a list of questions to ask the school, and confirm the local rules before you commit.
To teach in a Dubai private school you need an Appointment Notice issued by KHDA. KHDA's technical guide for appointing teaching staff describes it as essentially a no objection certificate. It applies to one school only, is not transferable, and becomes invalid when you move.
The guide also sets a 90-day rule. To move on cleanly you must serve your contractual notice, leave on the last day of an academic term (or semester in US curriculum schools) and submit a KHDA exit survey. Miss any of these and KHDA imposes a 90-day wait before a new Appointment Notice can be issued. For a UK teacher this matters more than the headline package, because it shapes when you can realistically change school.
KHDA's minimum for a specialist teacher is a recognised Level 6 (bachelor) degree relevant to the subject taught. A primary teacher needs a bachelor in education, or a bachelor in any subject plus at least six months of close supervision. Both routes ask for one year of recent experience, or six months of supervised practice if you are new to teaching.
To teach you need a valid UAE residence visa, a school contract, and qualifications that are fully attested and meet UAE equivalency requirements. Before you start, KHDA lists a UAE police clearance, a police certificate from each country you lived in during the previous five years, and one from your home country if you lived there in the previous ten.
Schools must also see that every new teacher completes four induction courses before teaching: code of conduct, basic security and health and safety, child protection and safeguarding, and working with students of determination.
KHDA's statistics page reports 17 curricula running in Dubai private schools, so British, American, IB, Indian and other programmes sit side by side. Check which curriculum a school follows before you accept, because it decides whether your QTS or PGCE is the expected credential or whether the school wants a US licence or IB experience.
ADEK, the Abu Dhabi regulator, states that its role includes organising teaching and learning in private schools and assessing the competency of teachers. Before you travel, read the FCDO travel advice for the UAE, which on 16 October 2026 carried a regional tensions warning.
United Arab Emirates · IB
United Arab Emirates · IB
United Arab Emirates · BSO
United Arab Emirates · BSO
United Arab Emirates · BSO
United Arab Emirates · BSO
United Arab Emirates · BSO
United Arab Emirates · IB
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · COBIS
United Arab Emirates · BSO
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · COBIS
United Arab Emirates · BSO
See all 151 schools in United Arab Emirates
These agencies say they recruit worldwide without naming United Arab Emirates specifically: Anthony Millard Consulting, ANZUK Education, Atlas Teachers, Edvectus, International Schools Services (ISS), RSAcademics, Schrole, Search Associates, Teach Away, Teacher Horizons, Teaching Abroad Direct, Tes (international jobs), TIC Recruitment, TIE Online (The International Educator), TrueTeaching, WISHlistjobs, Jackson Hayes Recruitment, RG175.
KHDA's published minimum is a recognised degree plus experience, not QTS by name. Individual schools set their own expectations on top, so ask the school what it wants for your curriculum and year group.
KHDA's guide expects teachers to leave on the last day of a term or semester, after serving their notice and submitting an exit survey. Leaving otherwise can trigger a 90-day wait before a new Appointment Notice is issued.
KHDA lists a UAE police clearance, a certificate from each country you lived in during the last five years, and one from your home country if you lived there in the last ten. Check the exact format with your school before ordering any.