Dubai: Jumeirah, a Dubai-based hospitality group and a member of Dubai Holding, has partnered with environmental charity Ocean Generation to introduce an enhanced marine environmental education program to schools in the UAE. Ocean Generation, established in 2009 by Jo Ruxton MBE, focuses on making ocean science accessible to various age groups with an emphasis on the younger generation.

According to Emirates News Agency, Ocean Generation commenced its UNESCO-endorsed Ocean Academy programme in five Dubai schools this week, with the possibility of expanding after the trial phase. The pilot programme was conducted at Greenfield International School, The Arbor School, Hartland International School, Fairgreen International School, and Dubai British School Emirates Hills.

Students aged 5-16 engaged in curriculum-aligned modules covering marine topics such as coral reef conservation, sustainable fisheries, ocean services, and marine biodiversity, delivered both in classrooms and through school assemblies. Ocean Generation provided teachers with lesson plans, videos, and resources that required no prior marine science knowledge, along with interactive sessions and workshops to enable school communities to engage with ocean education and empower their young people.

Building on Jumeirah’s marine conservation work across its properties, this partnership extends the brand’s ocean stewardship initiatives. With two-thirds of Jumeirah’s properties located on coastlines, these programmes aim to protect endangered sea turtles at key locations such as Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai, Jumeirah Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, as well as Jumeirah Bali. Since 2004, the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project has rescued and released 2,300 turtles back into the Arabian Gulf, with 96 tracked via satellite for migration research.

At Jumeirah Thanda Island, the team collaborates with local NGOs Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) and Sea Sense to protect whale sharks and endangered turtles and engage local communities through education and conservation training. Beyond this, Jumeirah is involved in coral restoration, nurturing over 1,400 coral fragments at the Jumeirah Al Naseem nursery and translocating 300 fragments to the sea. It also supports DUBAI REEF coral restoration efforts, one of the world’s largest reef developments, with over 3,000 coral fragments translocated to their coral nurseries at sea. In the Maldives, guests at Jumeirah Olhahali Island actively contribute to reef restoration to help regenerate the vibrant marine habitats around the resort.

These efforts reflect Jumeirah’s wider sustainability vision, grounded in principles of people, planet, and responsible governance. With every turtle rehabilitated and released, coral fragment planted, and guest educated, the brand reaffirms its mission to preserve the marine ecosystems surrounding its hotels and resorts.