Business & Finance Club - Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) is offering six plots of land in Khalifa City B and Mohammad Bin Zayed City for the development of new private schools.

This initiative is part of Adec's ongoing commitment to actively increase school capacity in the private sector in order to meet the growing demand for private school places.

Adec is currently welcoming open bids from interested investors who can demonstrate both capability and commitment to meeting Adec's quality standards, and can demonstrate plans to open schools by August 1, 2013 that will be subject to Adec inspection.

Students should start schooling in September 2013. Three plots of land will be allocated under a lease arrangement for schools to run the Adec curriculum, two plots to run English and American education curriculums, and one plot will be awarded for an English-language Philippine curriculum school that graduates students that qualify to pursue higher education in the Philippines.

Nominal rates

Each plot is approximately 18,000-22,000 square metres, and will be leased at nominal rates. These schools are to house former "villa students" at low and affordable fees.

"Adec research in the private school sector has shown that the demand for school places is expected to grow by 5 per cent annually over the next few years," Director-General of Adec Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili said. "In accordance with Adec's 10-Year Strategic Plan, it is of highest priority for us to increase both quality and access to private schools in the emirate."

Yousuf Al Sheryani, education adviser to the director general, said: "Adec has recently undergone its first round of private school inspections, and we will be supporting private schools as they embark on a continuous cycle of self-improvement initiatives."