In 1957, i.e., fourteen years before the formation of the United Arab Emirates, Iranian residents in the Sheikhdom of Dubai request an Iranian school for the education of their children.
Upon Sheikh Rashid’s (then-ruler of Dubai) consent and the authorization issue from Iran’s Ministry of Culture, ‘Dubai’s Iranian Primary School’ is established. The Iranian Culture Authority starts the school in an old small building which is the property of an Iranian merchant, Mr. Abdullah Kazem; simultaneously, Iran’s Ministry of Culture starts constructing an equipped building; in 1958, Dubai’s Iranian Primary School moves to the then-newly-constructed building (the previous location of Towheed Iranian Boys School). The primary school starts with six mixed classes admitting around 210 students.
Iranian students’ report card headlines and official correspondence show that the Iranian school has been active under the supervision of the Culture Office of Iranian south ports (Bushehr) up to 1966 – 1967. Investigating the correspondence, one can see that after the formation of the U.A.E. in 1971, the Iranian schools Directorate starts responsibility for running and developing Iranian schools in the Emirates.
During the first few years, the Iranian schools Directorate is also responsible for the Iranian Cultural Consulate and after that Iran’s Ministry of Education appoints the schools Director in the U.A.E. to continue running and developing Iranian schools in the Emirates.
In 1971 – 1972 along with the changes in Iran’s educational system to incorporate ‘a three-year educational guidance period’, the first middle school class starts as an attachment to ‘Dubai’s Iranian Primary School’. Later, ‘Middle School’ and ‘High School’ continue their activities in a shared place. The new high school system takes the place of the old one admitting students in the fields of mathematics-physics, experiential sciences, economy, social sciences, and commerce.
Ever since, ‘Dubai’s Iranian High School’ admits both middle school and new-system high school girl and boy students. In 1980, after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the high school separates girls and boys and ‘Martyr Muhammad Baqer Sadr Girls High School’ gets independent since 1980 – 1981. In 1983 – 1984, the middle school seeks independence; hence ‘Dubai’s Iranian Boys Middle School’ starts. It is not precisely known when this boys school changes name to ‘Bu Ali Sina’, but one can guess it does between 1983 to 1986. With the middle school getting independent, ‘Martyr Muhammad Baqer Sadr Girls High School’ admits arts students in the field of automatics and this way a girls conservatory is attached to the high school located next to it. The conservatory continues to 1988 – 1989 and then ends graduating a total of 90 grade-12 arts students. For one year in 1983 – 1984, the girls high school and the boys middle school are independent with respective principals and after that, one principal runs the two schools to 1991 – 1992. With the ending of the conservatory, students are admitted only in the fields of mathematics-physics, experiential sciences, culture and literature, and social sciences.
In 1995 – 1996, the building designed for ‘Salman School’ is completed and continues independent activities. x
In 1980, ‘Khadije Kobra (PBUH) Girls School’ starts responsibility for ‘Zahra (PBUH) Middle School’ and ‘Khadije Kobra (PBUH) High School’.
Along with the development of Iranian schools in Dubai, ‘Abu Dhabi School’ is established with the formation of the U.A.E. in 1971. Three years later in 1974, ‘Sharjah School’ is established in Naeemie and starts educating Iranian children in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Now the schools Directorate is the authority for all affairs: planning for, organizing, directing, coordinating, and supervising eight schools. The eight schools, with a 6,000 student population, are: Towheed International and Boys School, Towheed Girls School, Khadije Kobra (PBUH) Girls School, Salman Boys School, Sharjah Boys and Girls School, Imam Khomeini (MBUH) Boys and Girls School in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Boys and Girls School, and Adab Private Boys and Girls School.