Pupils at the Dubai British School in Jumeirah Park, which is among those rated as 'outstanding'. Pawan Singh / The National
Pupils at the Dubai British School in Jumeirah Park, which is among those rated as 'outstanding'. Pawan Singh / The National
Pupils at the Dubai British School in Jumeirah Park, which is among those rated as 'outstanding'. Pawan Singh / The National
Pupils at the Dubai British School in Jumeirah Park, which is among those rated as 'outstanding'. Pawan Singh / The National

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UAE

Dubai's 23 best-ranked schools with annual tuition fees

Knowledge and Human Development Authority rated them as 'outstanding'

Dona Cheriyan
Dona Cheriyan

August 07, 2025

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Parents in Dubai have the choice of dozens of highly rated private schools.

Twenty-three schools in the emirate have been rated as “outstanding” with 48 considered “very good” by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), according to its latest report.

The authority regulates and periodically inspects the emirate's schools, and their scale also includes ratings of “good”, “acceptable” and “weak”.

The inspections mainly focus on two criteria – wellbeing and inclusion. Schools must also meet the requirements of the National Agenda Parameter which examines their performance in international assessments and progress towards meeting those targets. The parameter also looks at the results of external assessments for key subjects.

Pause in inspections

The authority released a report rating 209 schools in 2024 and announced that they would be pausing full inspections for the 2025-26 academic year for most schools. Only schools in their third year of operation would be subject to a comprehensive inspection, the authority clarified in May.

It said the pause was part of an “evolving approach to supporting quality education in the emirate”. The inspections were also paused during the 2024-2025 academic year.

However, schools will have to continue measuring students’ academic progress through external benchmark assessments and submit self-evaluation forms as required. KHDA will monitor school progress with targeted visits focused on specific criteria, Fatma Ibrahim Belrehif, chief executive of the Education Quality Assurance and Compliance Agency at KHDA, said in May.

Demand is higher than ever. Dubai's private school operators told The National last year that they were planning to expand campuses and launch more schools to keep up with demand from the growing population. More than two million more people are expected to be living in the emirate within six years.

Pupils receive their GCSE results at GEMS Wellington International School. Victor Besa / The National
Pupils receive their GCSE results at GEMS Wellington International School. Victor Besa / The National

Here are the 23 schools rated as “outstanding”:

Deira International School, Dubai Festival City

Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB)

Fees: From Dh44,616 in Foundation Stage 1 to Dh89,889 in Year 13

The school operates under the Al Futtaim Education Foundation and was founded in 2005.

Dubai English Speaking College, Academic City

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh84,326 for Years 7 to 11 and Dh90,633 in sixth form

Part of the Dubai English Speaking Schools group, the institution offers the UK curriculum to Year 7 and above.

Dubai English Speaking School, Umm Hurair

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh43,084 in FS1 to Dh53,320 in Year 6

The primary school (for children aged three to 11) in Oud Metha has maintained its top rating since 2018.

GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, Al Safa

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh44,200 in FS1 and Dh55,714 for Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6

The primary school, founded in 1996, has been rated “outstanding” since 2010.

GEMS Wellington International School

Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB)

Fees: From Dh47,527 in FS1 to Dh103,399 in Year 13

This school offers the UK curriculum from Foundation Stage to Year 11 and the IB Diploma Programme courses and careers programme in Years 12 and 13.

Horizons English School, Al Wasl

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh43,849 in FS1 to Dh58,825 in Year 6

The primary school is part of the Cognita group.

Jumeirah College, Al Safa

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh78,496 in Year 7 to Dh98,681 in Year 13

This GEMS Education school offers Year 7 to 13 and has been consistently rated “outstanding” since 2010.

Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Al Barsha

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh69,625 in FS1 to Dh105,288 in Year 13

The school follows the British curriculum and offers the IB Diploma programme too.

Safa Community School, Al Barsha

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh54,437 in FS1 to Dh89,440 in Year 13

The school, founded in 2014, improved from “very good” to “outstanding” in the latest inspections.

Victory Heights Primary School, Dubai Sports City

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh40,138 in FS1 to Dh54,733 in Year 6

The primary-only school was founded in 2012 and offers after-school care options.

Dubai British School, Emirates Hills

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh53,027 in FS1 to Dh79,541 in Year 13

This Taaleem group school features two campuses that are walking distance away from each other – one for nursery to Year 2 and the other for Years 3 to 13.

Dubai British School, Jumeirah Park

Curriculum: British

Fees: Dh64,160 in Year 1 to Dh83,015 in Year 13

Another Taaleem institution, the school achieved its “outstanding” rating after the 2024 inspection.

GEMS Dubai American Academy, Al Barsha

Curriculum: American/IB

Fees: Dh66,185 in KG1-2 and Dh93,300 for grades 1 to 12

Founded in 1997, the American school has been consistently rated “outstanding” since 2011-12.

GEMS Modern Academy, Nad Al Sheba

Curriculum: Indian/IB

Fees: Dh38,246 in KG1 to Dh56,706 in Grade 12 (Indian) and Dh73,876 in Grade 12 (IB)

This school is the only Indian curriculum school on this list and offers a dual curriculum pathway that allows a choice between Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and IB programmes.

Jumeirah English Speaking School, Jumeirah

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh54,129 in FS1 to Dh65,097 in Year 6

JESS was founded in 1976 and is a primary-only school (FS1 to Year 6),

The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches, Dubai. Stephen Lock / ADMC
The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches, Dubai. Stephen Lock / ADMC

Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh54,129 in FS1 to Dh104,544 in Year 13

The Arabian Ranches branch of JESS offers both primary and secondary schooling.

Kings School Al Barsha

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh57,999 in FS1 to Dh105,873 in Year 13

Part of the Kings Schools group, the Al Barsha institution was founded in 2014.

Kings School Dubai, Umm Suqeim

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh47,179 in FS1 to Dh71,801 in Year 6

This primary school is next to Burj Al Arab.

Dubai College, Al Sufouh

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh97,415 in Year 7 to Dh110,305 in Year 13

The secondary-only campus was established in 1978.

Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills

Curriculum: IB

Fees: From Dh44,979 in KG1 to Dh79,696 in Grade 12

Established in 2005, the school offers the complete IB continuum curriculum from KG1 to Year 13.

Lycee Francais International, Oud Metha

Curriculum: French

Fees: From Dh29,488 in preschool to Dh62,363 in the final year

This French international school got its first “outstanding” rating after the 2023-2024 inspection cycle.

Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou School Oud Metha

Curriculum: French

Fees: From Dh31,276 in preschool to Dh50,700 in the final year

This French school is a partner institution of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and also offers the full French curriculum from preschool to Grade 12.

Repton pupils interact with robots, creating avatars on the metaverse. Issa Alkindy for The National
Repton pupils interact with robots, creating avatars on the metaverse. Issa Alkindy for The National

Repton School, Nad Al Sheba

Curriculum: British

Fees: From Dh57,178 in FS1 to Dh102,753 in Year 13

This British-curriculum school has a boarding option for students in Years 7 to 13.

The fees mentioned are for the 2025-2026 academic calendar and taken from the official websites of the schools and cross-checked on the KHDA school fact sheets where the latest information was not available.

These amounts do not include other fees including and not limited to registration fees, transportation, extra-curricular activities, or other administrative fees.

While you're here
Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

Gulf Under 19s final

Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B

While you're here

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Updated: August 08, 2025, 6:31 AM
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