What does "People of Determination" mean? A guide for UAE parents

If you've moved to the UAE recently, or your child has just received a diagnosis, you've probably come across the phrase "People of Determination" on a government website, a school policy, or a hospital form — and wondered exactly what it means, and why the UAE uses it instead of more familiar terms like "special needs" or "disabled".

Where the term comes from

"People of Determination" is the UAE's official designation for individuals with disabilities. It was introduced in April 2017, when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called for a shift away from language centred on limitation. The term was adopted nationally and now appears across UAE government communications, from federal ministries to individual emirate authorities.

Under this designation, "People of Determination" covers physical, sensory, intellectual and learning disabilities — a broad umbrella that includes everything from mobility impairments and hearing loss to autism, Down syndrome, dyslexia and ADHD. It is not a clinical or diagnostic category; it's a social and administrative one, used in policy, education and public life rather than in a medical chart.

Why the wording matters

The shift from "special needs" or "disabled" to "People of Determination" isn't just about being polite. It reframes the emphasis from what a person lacks to the resolve, effort and capability they bring — determination as the defining quality, not the diagnosis. For families, this can genuinely change how a child is spoken to and about, at school, in clinics, and in daily interactions with the wider community.

That said, language is only one part of inclusion. A change in terminology on its own doesn't guarantee a ramp exists, a shadow teacher is funded, or a school has staff trained to support a child with sensory needs. Parents in the UAE often find themselves navigating both the positive cultural shift the term represents and the practical, sometimes slower work of securing the right support day to day.

How it differs from "special needs"

"Special needs" is a term still widely used internationally, particularly in older documents, insurance paperwork, or international curricula. It tends to describe a child's requirements relative to a mainstream standard — additional needs a school or clinician must accommodate. "People of Determination" instead describes a person, at any age, in any setting, not only in education. An adult with a physical disability applying for a parking permit, or a retiree managing a long-term condition, is also a Person of Determination under UAE policy — the term isn't limited to children or to school contexts the way "special needs" often implicitly is.

In practice, you'll see both terms used in the UAE. Government services, ministries and most public communication now use "People of Determination" consistently. Private schools, international curricula and insurance documents may still use "special needs" or "SEN" (special educational needs), particularly where they follow KHDA, ADEK or SPEA frameworks that predate or run parallel to the national terminology shift. Neither is wrong; they simply come from different institutional contexts, and it helps to recognise both when reading a school policy or a benefits letter.

What this means for your family

Knowing the term is really just the starting point. The more useful questions for most families are practical ones: what services and entitlements does a diagnosis unlock, which authority governs your child's school — KHDA in Dubai, ADEK in Abu Dhabi, SPEA in Sharjah, or MOE for public schools — and what does your insurance policy actually cover. We'll cover the People of Determination card, insurance, and public-school registration rules in more detail in upcoming posts.

If you're at the start of this journey and unsure where to turn first, connecting with a team that understands both the clinical side and the UAE's specific systems can save a lot of time. Our assessment process is designed to give you a clear, honest starting point — not a diagnosis, but a structured way to understand what support your child might need and how to access it.