The Secretary of State for School Administration, Maria Luísa Oliveira, announced today in Dili that the new facilities for the Portuguese School of Dili – Ruy Cinatti Portuguese Language and Teaching Centre are expected to be finished by 2029.
During her visit to the Timorese capital for the meeting of Education Ministers from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the official outlined a clear roadmap for the ambitious infrastructure project.
According to the established timeline, the Portuguese government intends to finalize the architectural and technical projects throughout 2026. The subsequent phase will begin in 2027 with the launching of the public tender for construction.
The project will be managed and overseen by Construção Pública, a Portuguese state-owned company. Oliveira emphasized that the primary goal is to have a fully operational, modern facility available to the Timorese community within the next three years, with construction potentially breaking ground as early as 2027 once the contract is finalized.
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The new school represents a significant expansion of Portugal’s educational footprint in the region. The project is designed to accommodate 2,000 students across 70 classrooms, a substantial increase from the current capacity of 1,400 students.
The Secretary of State noted that a complete diagnostic and functional plan has already been established to ensure the school features state-of-the-art functional spaces. These include specialized laboratories, a library, and dedicated sports facilities, all tailored to meet the contemporary needs of the educational community.
This development follows a land concession protocol signed between Portugal and East Timor in June 2024. Under that agreement, the Portuguese state was granted surface rights to a plot of land in Dili for a period of 99 years. The project, which carries an estimated cost of approximately 21 million euros, serves as a response to the growing local demand for Portuguese-language education.
Oliveira underscored that the initiative aims to strengthen linguistic ties while simultaneously promoting the strategic and sustainable development of East Timor by equipping future generations with essential skills.
