Children at schools in the UAE are no longer required to wear masks, after the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) announced relaxations in COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week.

In a detailed announcement at a press conference on September 26, NCEMA announced new COVID-19 rules for various sectors in the UAE, including the education sector. 

In the announcement, NCEMA highlighted three major updates to the COVID-19 protocol for the education sector. Here is all you need to know about the rules your children are required to follow as per the new protocol - 

1. Precautionary measures will be implemented in line with the national education protocol.
2. Wearing face masks in open and closed spaces is now optional.
3. The Green Pass system will be applied as previously announced. Under the Green Pass system, only those individuals whose status is ‘green’ on the Al Hosn app, will be permitted to enter schools and colleges. You will be required to show your Al Hosn app for verification of the status of your vaccination against COVID-19 and the validity of your RT-PCR test result in order to gain entry into the educational institutions. 

The aim of the protocol is to ease restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance safe movement and tourism in the country.

The protocol came into effect from 28 September 2022. 

It may be noted that, earlier in April 2022, the national protocol for operating educational establishments for the 2022-2023 academic year was announced by NCEMA. As part of the national protocol, all students were allowed to attend classes, including those who are vaccinated for medical reasons or with medical exemption. Other COVID-19 restrictions were also eased, including canceling social distancing measures, with schools and colleges being allowed to implement measures as per their discretion.