Annual tuition fees for the 10 most viewed schools in the two emirates range widely in cost, ranging in Dubai from a minimum of 4,308 AED for the Grammar School up to a maximum of 71,003 AED for the Dubai English Speaking College, and in Abu Dhabi from a minimum of 6,050 AED for Yas Academy up to a maximum of 53,770 AED for Emirates National School.
In February, the Dubai Executive Council allowed private schools in the emirate to increase fees and a Souqalmal.com survey of 650 parents showed that three-quarters disagreed with the fee hike and 45 percent would consider changing schools if their school put fees up this year.
[Most viewed nurseries in Dubai and Abu Dhabi]
In terms of curriculum, Dubai leans much more heavily towards the British curriculum, with seven of the 10 most viewed schools teaching it and two the Indian. In Abu Dhabi only three of the most viewed teach the British curriculum, with four teaching the Ministry of Education or American or International Baccalaureat or a combination of those.
The registration date is another key factor, varying from four to 20 months. In Dubai, three of the most viewed schools have an ‘always open’ policy – Horizon School, Dubai Gem Private School and Arab Unity School.
Ambareen Musa, CEO and founder of Souqalmal.com, says: “Many schools with well-known long waiting lists didn’t make it into our most viewed schools list, showing that the registration deadline is a really important factor in considering schools.”
In Dubai three GEMS schools make it into the top 10, Our Own English High School at no.1, Winchester at 3 and Wellington at 4, as well as the GEMS Cambridge School at 6 in Abu Dhabi. Choueifat is no.9 in Dubai and no.10 in Abu Dhabi.
The most viewed schools are Our Own English High School, followed by Dubai Gem in Dubai and Emirates National School and then Merryland International in Abu Dhabi.
Most viewed Dubai schools
| School | Curriculum | Teacher/ kids ratio | Registration (mths prior to opening) | Annual tuition fees (AED) | Established | ||
| 1 | GEMS Our Own English High School, Al Warqa | Indian | 1:28 | 6 | 6,172 – 13,059 | 1972 | More details |
| 2 | Dubai Gem Private School, Oud Metha | British | 1:28 | Always open | 14,865 – 26,835 | 1973 | More details |
| 3 | GEMS Winchester School, Oud Metha | British | 1:25 | 9 | 9,540 – 15,104 | 2011 | More details |
| 4 | GEMS Wellington Academy, Dubai Silicon Oasis | British | 1:25 | 20 | 31,809 – 71,827 | 2012 | More details |
| 5 | Arab Unity School, Al Mizhar | British | 1:25 | Always open | 5,290 – 7,935 | 1975 | More details |
| 6 | Grammar School, Al Garhoud | British | 1:25 | 9 | 4,308 – 5,924 | 1974 | More details |
| 7 | Horizon School, Al Wasl | British | 1:25 | Always open | 32,046 – 43,271 | 1989 | More details |
| 8 | Al Ameen Private School, Al Nahda | British | 1:22 | 6 | 4,826 – 5,469 | 1985 | More details |
| 9 | Int’l School of Choueifat, Al Sufouh | SABIS (UK/ US) | 1:25 | 8 | 19,950 – 35,100 | 1994 | More details |
| 10 | Springdales School, SZR | Indian | 1:25 | 6 | 18,000 – 30,000 | 2013 | More details |
Most viewed Abu Dhabi schools
| School | Curriculum | Teacher/ kids ratio | Registration (mths prior to opening) | Annual tuition fees (AED) | Established | ||
| 1 | Emirates National School, Abu Dhabi Island | American/ IB | 1:25 | 7 | 21,610 – 53,770 | 2010 | More details |
| 2 | Merryland Int’l, Mohd Bin Zayed City | British | 1:30 | 9 | 12,500 – 28,000 | 1978 | More details |
| 3 | Bright Riders School, Mohd Bin Zayed City | Indian | 1:25 | 9 | 8,400 – 17,400 | 2013 | More details |
| 4 | International Jubilee Private School, Airport Rd | American | 1:25 | 6 | 14,700 – 29,000 | 1986 | More details |
| 5 | Giggles English School, Abu Dhabi Island | British | 1:25 | 9 | 13,500 – 15,500 | 1998 | More details |
| 6 | GEMS Cambridge Int’l, Khalifa City B | British | 1:25 | 12 | 19,000 – 32,300 | 2013 | More details |
| 7 | Yas Academy School, Defence Rd | MOE | 1:22 | 6 | 6,050 – 10,080 | 2012 | More details |
| 8 | Modern Private School, Hadbhat Al Zaafran | MOE | 1:30 | 4 | 8,500 – 12,750 | 1988 | More details |
| 9 | Al Sorouh American, Khalifa City B | MOE/ American | 1:25 | 6 | 20,300 – 24,360 | 2010 | More details |
| 10 | Choueifat (Primary), Al Mushrif | SABIS (UK/ US) | 1:27 | 8 | 19,600 – 35,800 | 1975 | More details |
[Related: News and guides on schools | Dubai school registration open dates for entry in 2014-2015 | Abu Dhabi school registration open dates for entry in 2014-2015]
