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UAE school group announces no salary cuts for employees in April
Woodlem was also one of the first in the UAE to formally roll out a full transport fee waiver
- PUBLISHED: Wed 1 Apr 2026, 6:34 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
In a move to reassure its workforce, a UAE-based school group has announced that all employees will receive full salaries for April despite the continued shift to distance learning.
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Woodlem Education said the decision reinforces its commitment to staff welfare during this period, adding that employees will continue to receive full pay for the month, ensuring stability across its workforce.
Balancing support for parents and employees
The announcement follows an earlier step by the group to waive transport fees for students across its schools and nurseries during online learning, effective April 2026. The education group was also one of the first in the UAE to formally roll out a full transport fee waiver.
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Explaining the rationale behind the latest decision, Noufal Ahmed, Founder and Managing Director of Woodlem Education, said, “In challenging times, institutions have a responsibility to support both their communities and their employees. While we have extended relief to parents through the transport fee waiver, we remain equally committed to ensuring financial stability for our staff by maintaining full salaries. We believe such decisions are essential to building trust and long-term resilience.”
The group reiterated that the transport fee waiver will remain in place only during the period of distance learning and will be reinstated once regular on-campus classes resume.
They added that the situation will be reviewed at the end of April 2026, with further decisions for the coming months to be guided by evolving circumstances.
Other groups that updated transport fee policies
Earlier, Dubai-based STS Group also joined other UAE school operators in revising transport fee policies, announcing a pro-rata adjustment for April, broadening the wave of support already initiated by some schools.
Apart from Woodlem education, this announcement follows similar measures by school groups such as The Indian High Group of Schools which had also confirmed transport fee waivers during distance learning.
“Families everywhere are navigating uncertainty, and we recognise that many of our parents may be facing financial pressures due to the current regional situation,” Punit MK Vasu, CEO of The Indian High Group of Schools, told Khaleej Times on Monday.
