Plans to open an Indian curriculum school with places for 2,500 students could help to address a shortage in the capital.
The Mayoor Private School estimates there is a shortage of between 5,000 and 6,000 Indian curriculum school seats in Abu Dhabi and hopes to provide a significant proportion of these.
The capital has fewer than 30 Indian curriculum schools.
"This school, with a full capacity of 2,500 students, will solve to a great extent the shortage of Indian curriculum schools in the capital," said Gorthi SS Rao, a representative of the school.
The school has been approved by Adec but its fee structure is still awaiting approval.
"We can state only the fees as moderately priced," Mr Rao said.
In its first year the school will teach up to 1,500 pupils from nursery to grade 7. In the following year classes up to grade 12 will be added, increasing the school's capacity to 2,500.
In the first year the school will employ 90 staff, which would rise to 200 when it reaches full capacity. At full capacity the student-teacher ratio will be nearly 12 to 1.
The school will be managed by Taaleem in collaboration with Mayo College General Council. It governs the school in Ajmer, Rajasthan, that is often referred to as "the Eton of India".
Many Indian families welcomed the development.
"If Mayoor School, a well-known school in India, comes to Abu Dhabi that is definitely good news," said Pareira Jos, who has struggled to find his grade 7 child a place for next year.
"Many families had to go through difficult times and many children were denied basic education due to the shortage."
He eventually found a place for his son after finding out about the transfer of another student. He believes that for many parents, fees would not be a determining factor in choosing the school.
"Fees are not a big issue and what better investment is there than a child's education?" he asked, adding that Indian curriculum schools were cheaper than British or American ones despite offering the same level of education.
The school plans to teach the curriculum of the Central Board of Secondary Education, India.
It plans to start admissions in September and continue throughout the year depending on availability.
Students applying for admission up to grade 5 and their parents will have to attend an assessment interview with the principal.
Applicants for grade 6 and above will need to take tests in English, maths and science.