Daniel Lazar, the Indian engineer who helped build a family-run education network serving communities in Ajman and Sharjah, has died in Kerala at the age of 84.
Lazar, founder of the Lazar Group and a key figure in the development of North Point Education, died on Wednesday, October 14, according to a report published by Gulf News on October 16. The newspaper said his office confirmed his death and identified Kerala as his place of death.
His story connects two chapters of the UAE’s development: the arrival of Indian professionals during the country’s early years and the subsequent growth of private schools serving expatriate families.
From engineering to education
Lazar trained and worked as an electrical engineer with the Tata group in Pune before leaving his job to move to the UAE, according to Gulf News. The report says he travelled from Gujarat by small boat, eventually reaching Khor Fakkan.
A founder’s message published on The Royal Academy Ajman’s official website records his arrival in the UAE on April 18, 1968. In the message, Lazar also recalled his association with Ajman’s ruler and described how his family’s interest in education developed.
His move into education was closely connected to the work of his wife, Sosamma Lazar. She recognised that some children needed additional opportunities to learn English and began tutoring pupils from their home. The lessons brought together children from different backgrounds and became the starting point for a more formal educational venture.
The couple established Little Flower Nursery in Ajman in 1985, according to North Point Education’s official history. The nursery marked the beginning of the school network that later expanded under their family’s leadership.
A school network spanning Ajman and Sharjah
The original nursery developed into a broader education operation. The couple subsequently introduced Ajman Intermediate English School, which later became The Royal Academy, Ajman.
North Point Education’s history records the school’s expansion through successive grade levels. Its portfolio subsequently grew to include The Bloomington Academy in Ajman and The Hope English School in Sharjah, giving the group schools offering different curricula in the Northern Emirates.
The three schools now listed by North Point Education are The Royal Academy, The Bloomington Academy and The Hope English School. The organisation describes its purpose as widening access to quality education for students from diverse backgrounds.
Lazar’s contribution was not limited to establishing institutions. The family’s approach placed emphasis on combining academic learning with values and character development. His founder’s message described the ambition to build schools that brought education together with technology, nature and an understanding of different cultures.
Sosamma’s contribution remains part of the group’s history. Her early work tutoring children helped shape the family’s decision to establish a school, demonstrating how the venture developed from a practical response to local educational needs rather than beginning as a large institution.
A legacy carried forward by the next generation
The school network continued to develop under the next generation of the Lazar family. North Point Education identifies Lanson Lazar, Daniel and Sosamma’s son, as its chairman. The group’s official account describes the later establishment of The Bloomington Academy and The Hope English School under the North Point Education umbrella.
For families in Ajman and Sharjah, that legacy is represented by the schools themselves: institutions that grew from the original nursery into a network serving children across the Northern Emirates.
Lazar’s death was reported by Gulf News as a loss for the education group he founded. The immediate facts of his passing have been reported, while the longer arc of his career is documented in the school’s own history and founder’s message. Together, those accounts trace a journey that began with his arrival in the UAE in 1968 and led to the creation of a family education venture nearly two decades later.
1. Who was Daniel Lazar?
Daniel Lazar was an Indian engineer and entrepreneur who founded the Lazar Group and helped establish an education network in the UAE with his wife, Sosamma Lazar. The family’s school venture began with Little Flower Nursery in Ajman in 1985.
2. When did Daniel Lazar die?
Daniel Lazar died on October 14, 2026, according to Gulf News, which reported confirmation from his office. He was 84.
3. Where did Daniel Lazar die?
He died in Kerala, India, according to the Gulf News report published on October 16, 2026.
4. When did Daniel Lazar arrive in the UAE?
The founder’s message on The Royal Academy Ajman website records his arrival on April 18, 1968.
5. Which schools are associated with Daniel Lazar’s legacy?
North Point Education lists The Royal Academy in Ajman, The Bloomington Academy in Ajman and The Hope English School in Sharjah.
6. Who was Sosamma Lazar?
Sosamma Lazar was Daniel Lazar’s wife and educational partner. She began tutoring children at home, helping inspire the family’s school venture and the establishment of Little Flower Nursery in Ajman.
7. Who leads North Point Education now?
North Point Education identifies Lanson Lazar, Daniel Lazar’s son, as its chairman.
8. When was Little Flower Nursery established?
North Point Education’s official history records the establishment of Little Flower Nursery in Ajman in 1985 by Daniel and Sosamma Lazar.
