Aldar Education, the leading education provider in Abu Dhabi and beyond, in partnership with Cranleigh UK, today announced AED 385.8 million capital investment to relocate Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s Prep and Senior campus to a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities within Saadiyat Island. Scheduled to open during the 2027–2028 academic year, the new campus will accommodate up to 2,178 students, significantly enhancing Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s ability to meet growing demand for super premium British education while reinforcing its commitment to delivering an exceptional student experience.
Located just seven minutes from the current site and directly adjacent to the existing Pre-Prep campus, the relocation unifies Cranleigh’s footprint within Abu Dhabi’s prime Saadiyat Island district. The design moves beyond traditional institutional architecture to establish a sustainable, highly optimized innovation ecosystem engineered to maximize long-term community value, family satisfaction and support student performance metrics.
To drive advanced subject mastery, the facility expands its core scientific infrastructure by providing discipline-exclusive labs for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These spaces are equipped with integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, enabling students to engage with complex concepts through immersive simulations and develop an intuitive grasp of abstract technical principles.
The Sixth Form will also introduce a specialized research library with dedicated collaborative study zones, a student exhibition hall and a student leadership conference room to embed critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving into daily life. Additionally, a Sixth Form Majlis will provide a dedicated space for students to engage with Emirati heritage, Arabic culture and national identity; demonstrating Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s long-standing commitment to embedding UAE national identity not just across the curriculum, but into the architecture of school life.
For early-stage learning, the Prep campus features dedicated STEM labs, science and discovery labs. Additionally, an expanded Model United Nations (MUN) suite will be designed to champion global awareness, high-level diplomatic simulation, and early inquiry.
The campus athletic infrastructure features a major scale upgrade, introducing a landmark 50-meter, 8-lane competition-standard swimming pool alongside an adjoining aquatic gym. This is complemented by a two-level Multi-Purpose Hall housing gymnastics, Jiu-Jitsu and dance studios. Additional high-performance provisions include padel courts, a dedicated basketball court with spectator bleacher seating, a golf simulation studio, cricket and table tennis facilities. Crucially, the campus boasts a professional, natural grass football pitch—a key differentiator that makes Cranleigh Abu Dhabi among the few in the entire emirate to offer an authentic natural turf field to ensure athletic development, player welfare and the school’s capacity to attract and retain highly qualified sporting talent.
For creative and performing arts, the campus introduces an expanded technical ecosystem anchored by a 650-seat auditorium with an enlarged stage, a specialised black box theatre, and dedicated studios for drama, music recital, music technology, instrumental practice spaces, and an audio recording room. Fine arts and digital media spaces are expanded to include a dedicated Senior Art studio, with a dark room, a Design Technology studio, a Radio/Podcast Studio and fully equipped ICT labs.
Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Education said: ” We have designed Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s new campus with the belief that the quality of a student’s environment is inseparable from the quality of their outcomes. Every decision; from the discipline-specific science labs and AI-integrated classrooms to the competition-standard aquatic centre and Sixth Form Majlis, was made with this in mind. This is a next-generation environment that expands what is possible for our students: intellectually, athletically, creatively and culturally. It preserves everything that makes Cranleigh Abu Dhabi extraordinary while enhancing the individual intimacy and academic excellence the school is known for.”
The new campus has been engineered to the highest green building standards. The campus design has achieved an Estidama Pearl 5 sustainability rating; the UAE’s most prestigious and highest tier for green building designations. This integration ensures optimized energy efficiency, low carbon costs, and a healthy climate-resilient environment built to long term operational performance and environmental resilience.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will continue full operations at its current campus until the 2027–2028 academic year. Aldar Education and Cranleigh UK have deployed a comprehensive, phased transition framework to guarantee total academic and operational continuity for students and faculty ahead of its opening.
