Schools in Dubai: everything is private, and this is how you choose
For expat children there is no public education in Dubai: everything runs through private schools under the supervision of the KHDA, with seventeen curricula side by side. The good news: the fees are regulated, for 2026-27 even frozen, and the "registration fee" is legally an advance that is offset against the fees. This is how you choose a school — and how you prevent your neighbourhood from choosing the school instead of the other way round.
4 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
No, there is no free school in Dubai. Public education is for Emiratis. Expat children go to private schools under the supervision of the KHDA, Dubai's education authority.
Three things to know in advance:
- What it costs differs per school by a factor of five or more. But the fees are regulated, and for the 2026-27 school year completely frozen.
- Under the KHDA policy, the "registration fee" is legally a registration deposit of at most 10% of the annual fee. It is offset in full against the school fees: an advance, not an extra cost.
- The pitfall is the order. Whoever first chooses a neighbourhood and then a school pays in bus hours and rent budget for a decision that should have gone the other way round.
Why is the school a purchase decision here?
In fourteen earlier corridors the school was an enrolment form at the municipality. In Dubai it is a purchase decision. It is the family's biggest recurring expense. And done right, that decision determines your neighbourhood, instead of the other way round.
The cost indication for Dubai therefore counts the first school term for families in the first months. That comes on top of the annual rent that Dubai asks in at most four instalments in advance.
Who supervises, and how regulated is it?
Public education is there for Emiratis. Expat children go to private schools under the supervision of the KHDA, the Dubai education authority. That role is bigger than Dutch people expect. The KHDA:
- inspects every school annually;
- publishes the verdicts;
- regulates the fees: a school may only raise them within a framework tied to its inspection score.
For the 2026-27 school year the fees are completely frozen. The full list of schools with an official cost overview per school is public in the KHDA directory.
Which curriculum suits a Dutch child?
Dubai has seventeen curricula side by side: British, IB (International Baccalaureate), American, Indian and more. For Dutch families there are three questions that carry the choice:
- Where does the child go afterwards? Whoever ever wants to return to the Netherlands or Europe often chooses IB or British for the fit.
- What is the inspection verdict? The KHDA score is public and predicts more than the marketing brochure.
- What does it really cost? The annual fee differs per school by a factor of five or more. The official cost overview also shows bus, uniforms and extras.
There is no Dutch day school. There is supplementary Dutch language and culture education via external providers, within a few international schools.
What do I pay in advance, and what do I get back?
Two rules protect your wallet:
- The registration deposit is legally capped at 10% of the annual fee and is offset in full against the school fees. It is an advance, not an extra cost. Re-enrolment may ask at most 5% of the annual fee, or AED 500 if that is more.
- The refund rules on departure or rejection are in a KHDA policy that applies to all schools. Ask about it before you sign, not after.
| Rule | What the KHDA lays down |
|---|---|
| Registration deposit on enrolment | at most 10% of the annual fee, offset in full against the school fees |
| Re-enrolment | at most 5% of the annual fee, or AED 500 if that is more |
| Fee increase | only within the framework tied to the inspection score |
| School year 2026-27 | fees frozen |
| Refund on departure or rejection | one policy for all private schools |
| Bus, uniforms, extras | on the official cost overview per school |
In which order do I arrange it?
Choose the school before the neighbourhood. It saves daily bus hours and sets your rent budget more realistically than the other way round. The neighbourhood also determines what you rent, and that rent you pay in advance.
After that:
- Enrol as soon as the emigration gets serious. Popular schools fill up per school year.
- Plan the entry tests around your moving date.
- Bring the Dutch pupil file legalised where the school asks for it. You arrange that in the same round as the other documents.
The pitfall is the neighbourhood-first reflex. Whoever signs for a home before the school is settled discovers that the school of their choice is on the other side of the city, or full. And they are stuck for a year with a rental contract paid in advance. School, then neighbourhood, then rental contract: that order costs nothing and saves the most.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 2 of 5 of the journey: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Dubai.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- KHDA — the school fees framework — web.khda.gov.ae
- KHDA — the Dubai schools directory — web.khda.gov.ae
- KHDA — registration and refund policy — web.khda.gov.ae
- KHDA — the fee freeze for 2026-27 — web.khda.gov.ae
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