How top UK schools are helping shape educational landscape of the UAE

Flagship British schools are primed to be at the forefront of a new era of education in the UAE, as the nation seeks to bring cutting-edge technology and the latest teaching methods to the classroom.

King's College School Wimbledon will be the latest high-profile arrival from the UK when it swings open its doors at Abu Dhabi's Fahid Island in 2028.

It was announced by developers Aldar on Monday morning that the prestigious school would open on the just-announced island in Abu Dhabi, making it the first school to be confirmed there. The school will serve up to 2,200 pupils.

It will be part of an illustrious list of British curriculum schools helping to redefine an expanding education landscape as the Emirates aims to serve a rapidly- growing population, including an influx of super-rich residents drawn from across the world demanding the best schooling for their children.

The number of millionaires living in Dubai has doubled in the past decade, making it one of the world’s fastest growing wealth hubs, the World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2025 found.

From Harrow to helipads

The renowned Harrow School is to launch campuses in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai under a partnership with UAE education provider Taaleem.

Harrow International School Abu Dhabi is set be to the capital's first boarding school. It was announced in February that the Abu Dhabi branch will open from the middle of next year, with enrolment beginning in October.

A second UAE campus will be “fully operational” in Dubai in 2026. Applications for places will be accepted from September, with the school initially catering for pupils from Early Years to Year 6 as the expansion is gradually phased in.

“Harrow has a long-established reputation for excellence, and through our collaboration with Harrow International Schools Limited, we are proud to bring the same values-driven education to Dubai that has shaped generations of leaders,” said Khalid Al Tayer, chairman of Taaleem, at the time.

Harrow's alumni include royalty, world leaders such as Winston Churchill and Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as prominent figures from the arts and sport. The number of pupils who were enrolled in Dubai's private schools increased by 6 per cent this year, according to data from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

Gems School of Research and Innovation, which is opening in Dubai in August, will teach the British curriculum.

Former UK foreign secretary William Hague is to serve as its honorary patron.

It has been built with an investment of $100 million (Dh367 million) and will feature an elevated football field that doubles as a helipad, a 600-seat auditorium, an Olympic-size swimming pool and an NBA-spec basketball court.

The campus also has disruption labs to develop entrepreneurial skills, specialist primary spaces for technology, design, sports and the arts, tech hubs and an immersive research centre. Fees range from Dh116,000 ($31,500) for pupils in foundation stage one to Dh206,000 in year 12, and enrolment is open.

Top of the class

Out of 227 private schools in Dubai, 90 operate under a British curriculum, according to the KHDA's 2024-25 report on private schools. The next closest is the Indian curriculum operated by 34 schools. The report also revealed that British schools are the second most popular choice for Emiratis, with only US schools ranking higher.

While British schools are popular in the UAE, they often don't come cheap. The two Harrow-branded schools set to open in the UAE next year will have fees of Dh80,000 to Dh100,000 ($21,780 to $27,230) for pupils in Early Years to Year 6, The National reported earlier this year.

“You're looking at state-of-the-art facilities and an incredible performing arts auditorium and dance studios,” Alan Williamson, chief executive of Taaleem, the education provider behind the project, told The National at the time. “You're looking at robotics facilities and also a beautiful learning environment.”

Other British schools also charge premium rates. A place, for example, at Nord Anglia International School (Dubai), which was founded in 2014, costs between Dh68,026 and Dh102,871, while Brighton College Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2011, charges between Dh50,830 and Dh80,780.

There are currently 387,441 pupils enrolled at 227 private schools for the academic year 2024-25. Official statistics show that more than 365,000 pupils were enrolled in Dubai's classrooms in 2023, up from 326,000 in November 2022. Ten schools opened in the emirate for the current academic year. In line with Dubai's Education Strategy 2033, the KHDA aims to establish more than 100 private schools by 2033.

Highly regarded

The highest ranked British school in Dubai, according to a 2025 league table released by WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, is The Sheffield Private School, which opened in 2004. It provides education for close to 1,200 pupils and the average fee is Dh30,500.

The website ran a survey in which 74 per cent said their child felt a strong sense of belonging to the school, above the 53 per cent average in all UAE schools. This was closely followed by Victory Heights Primary School, which opened in 2013, where the average fee is Dh47,500.

In Abu Dhabi, the highest-ranked school in 2025 was British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, founded in 1968, which came first in a table released by SchoolsCompared.com.

“The British School Al Khubairat offers children a beyond-outstanding education with inspirational and caring leadership and faculty driven by ambitions for every child at the school bar none,” read the review from the website for the school, which charges an average fee of Dh61,500.