Zayed City Schools

Plenary and BESIX are delivering three new schools in Zayed City, Abu Dhabi.

Zayed City Schools will have a combined capacity of 5,360 students, comprised of one Kindergarten and Cycle One School for boys and girls (2,000 students), one Cycle Two and Three Girls’ School (1,680 students), and one Cycle Two and Three Boys’ School (1,680 students). In addition, the Zayed City Schools will employ more than 220 teachers and 75 non-teaching staff.

Led by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), on behalf of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), Zayed City Schools represents a step change in the way schools are procured and operated in the United Arab Emirates, enabling teachers and principals a single focus on the provision of quality education in an unparalleled learning environment.

Innovations

The school buildings will be designed and built with high sustainability objectives, complying with Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl 2 rating system.

Local economic impacts

Most building materials used on site will be locally produced, providing a boost to Abu Dhabi’s local economy.

Expansion project

In January 2025, the Zayed City Schools – Stage 2 (Khalifa City School) project was procured using an augmentation procurement framework within the existing Zayed City Schools public-private partnership (PPP) project. Led by ADIO, the design and use of this framework to procure school infrastructure marks another first for the region.

In response to the growing population of Khalifa City located south of Abu Dhabi, as well as its expansion and increase in its residential and transportation infrastructure, ADEK, supported by ADIO, identified the need to create new schools across various locations in this area.

ADIO led the augmentation process in collaboration with the ADEK and the BESIX-Plenary Group consortium. BESIX-Plenary delivered a value-for-money solution, subsequently reaching commercial and financial close.

Through meticulous planning and implementation, ADIO developed a specific augmentation framework that enabled the school’s infrastructure to be procured and awarded within a record timeframe of just 12 months, demonstrating ADIO’s commitment to delivering critical infrastructure efficiently and on schedule. This approach aligns with ADIO’s broader efforts to attract and enable investments that support the emirate’s vision for world-class educational infrastructure.

The augmentation comprises the design, build, finance, and 18-year operation and maintenance of a new campus, which will accommodate 3,380 students in Khalifa City.

Equity financing is provided by Plenary (50%) and BESIX (50%), while debt is being provided by leading domestic and international banks Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, HSBC, Intesa Sanpaolo and Norinchukin.

The final design of the school will encourage and support a variety of individual, small group and large group learning models. The school will contain resources and spaces that will enhance the delivery of personalised educational programs and services to all students, encourage student‐to‐student, adult‐to‐student, and adult‐to‐adult collaboration.