As vehicles crowd UAE roads during the back-to-school season, one family chose a unique path. A viral social media video captures a young brother and sister buckled into a small cart, pulled by a pony and led by a handler, on their way to Al Towayya KG in Al Ain.
This horse-drawn cart is part of their family business, as shared by the children’s relatives with Khaleej Times.
The video, initially posted by AlKhaleej on X, showcases the cart traveling alongside the road, initially free of traffic, moving past school buses and private cars before stopping at the school’s entrance.
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The children appeared delighted, attracting the attention of other students, who watched with curiosity as the cart rolled by.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, the siblings’ relatives mentioned, “To avoid any hassle on the first day, the family opted for the cart, which is part of a family-owned business, to transport the children to school.”
The video received an outpouring of affection from viewers, with comments like “I adore them, may God protect them. I still recall my first school day, filled with activities” and “Adorable, I love these activities.”
New Academic Year
Across the UAE, over a million students returned to classrooms after a two-month summer break. Schools welcomed kids with ice cream and police officers, but nothing compared to the charm of a pony-led journey.
The Ministry of Education has introduced staggered start times for second and third-grade students to streamline daily routines and school transport.
On August 25, the new academic year commenced with nine new public schools opening across the UAE, accommodating over 25,000 students with the help of more than 800 newly hired teachers. Maintenance work was completed at 465 schools nationwide to ensure they are ready for over one million students.
After the summer break, 25,345 new students joined the education system, supported by 830 newly recruited teachers and staff. To facilitate operations, 5,560 school buses have been deployed, 46,888 laptops distributed, and over 10 million textbooks printed.
