Ten new private schools to open in Dubai in 2021-2022

Emirate’s first Australian-curriculum school among the new arrivals

The new schools will open as Dubai plans a major population boom in the next 20 years. Pawan Singh / The National

Ten new private schools are set to open in Dubai for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Dubai’s first Australian-curriculum school and the Dubai campus of the Royal Grammar School Guildford, a 500-year-old institution in England, are among the arrivals.

About 15,000 school places will be created in the process.

The schools are in the districts of Tilal Al Ghaf, Al Warqa, Al Karama, Al Barsha, City Walk, Mirdif, Nad Al Sheba, Al Khawaneej and Al Rashidiya.

Dubai’s government said the decision was "building on strong demand from parents for innovative education offerings”.

“We are happy to welcome 10 new schools to Dubai, which will now provide parents with more educational choices,” said Mohammed Darwish, chief executive of permits and compliance at the city’s education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

“The addition of the new schools is part of our commitment to delivering high-quality education and efforts to further consolidate Dubai’s growth as a global education destination.”

The schools will offer a choice of Australian, UK, US, and IB curricula.

A total of 25 new private schools have opened in Dubai over the past three years. About 286,500 pupils study at private schools in Dubai.

This year, Dubai’s government set out plans for a major expansion of the city in its Urban Master Plan 2040. Among the goals was to boost the population from 3.3 million in 2020 to 5.8 million within 20 years.

The anticipated growth means the city will expand and require more schools, universities and public transport systems.

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The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai will have places for 2,100 pupils when complete and offer the GCSE and A-level qualifications.

Founded in 1509, it is one of UK’s oldest schools.

In Tilal Al Ghaf, between Motor City and Sports City, the 40,000-square-metre school will have a 25-metre swimming pool.

In its first year, the school is offering a 20 per cent discount and fees will range from Dh60,000 ($16,338) in foundation stage one to Dh77,600 in year six.

Two new, cheaper schools will also open in September.

The initiative, called Dubai Schools, will be run by a private sector operator with government funding, under a new model for the city.

Dubai Schools will be operated by Taaleem, one of the country's top education providers, and will be regulated by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

The schools will offer an American-curriculum education embedded in Islamic values.

The schools will be in Al Barsha and Mirdif.

Fees will vary from Dh29,900 for kindergarten pupils to Dh36,155 for fourth-graders.

Transport costs and school uniforms are included in the fees.