The school day in Dubai and the costs on top of fees
Lunch at AED 25–30 a day, the bus, uniform, paid ECAs, trips and your own iPad. Class sizes, why Friday is a short day and what else the annual fee does not cover.
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The school day in Dubai and what is paid for separately
The annual school fee pays for teaching. Everything around it — food, transport, uniform, clubs, trips — is paid for separately. Each item is small on its own; together they make a noticeable line in the budget. Here is what it consists of, and how the school week runs.
The week and the day
Children attend from Monday to Friday. Since 1 January 2022, when the UAE moved its weekend to Saturday and Sunday, Friday has been a short day at every school: lessons end at around 11:20–12:00, depending on the school and the year group. Before that the school week ran from Sunday to Thursday.
At most schools an ordinary day starts at around half past seven or eight and ends in the middle of the afternoon. There are exceptions: at Bloom World Academy, for example, the official day runs from 9:00 to 16:00, with optional activities before and after.
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Class sizes
Usually up to 20–25 children. In the younger year groups a teaching assistant works alongside the teacher.
Food
There are two options: a lunch box from home or a school meal plan. School meals usually come in a hot and a cold option and cost around AED 25–30 a day (a 2023/24 benchmark). Some schools have a proper canteen serving hot food; at others an outside caterer delivers lunch to the classroom — and parents of younger children complain that it arrives cold. If this matters to you, ask on the tour how lunch is organised.
The bus
Most schools run a bus service, paid for separately, one way or both ways. Allow for the time: the bus collects children along a route, and arriving at school by 7:25 is perfectly normal. The alternative is to drive yourself, and then parking becomes the issue — in parents’ reviews of many schools it is complaint number one.
Uniform
Compulsory at every school. It is bought from a supplier the school designates and replaced as the child grows.
ECAs — clubs and activities
ECAs (extracurricular activities) take place before lessons, at lunchtime or after school. Some are free, some are paid. An example from one IB school: free — choir, chess, model-making, science experiments, homework club, board games, gardening, Irish dancing; paid — ballet, drama, robotics, football, tennis, golf, sailing, kickboxing.
You cannot sign up for the whole year. Registration opens online at the start of each term, and places in popular groups go within hours. Working parents should bear this in mind: if registration opens in the middle of a weekday, groups can be full by the evening.
iPads and screen time
At many schools, from a certain year group — often Year 2 or 3 — a child must bring their own iPad, and a large part of lessons and homework runs through it. That is both an expense and a question of how long your child spends in front of a screen. If it matters to you, ask it outright on the tour.
What else
- Trips and outings — several times a year, paid for separately.
- Additional English (EAL) — included in the fee at some schools, charged separately at others.
- Sibling club — somewhere for a younger child to wait until an older sibling’s lessons finish. Often free, but not everywhere.
Annual fees and discounts are covered in Dubai school fees, and the shape of the year and the holidays in the school year and holidays.
The full “Schools in Dubai” series
- Schools in Dubai: how the system works
- KHDA school ratings in Dubai: how to read them
- Getting into a Dubai school: the five steps
- School documents in the UAE: attestation and the transfer certificate
- Dubai school fees and how to pay less
- The Dubai school year, holidays and starting age
- British, American or IB: choosing a curriculum in Dubai
- IB Diploma vs A-levels: what each gives a school leaver
- British schools in Dubai: twelve strong options
- American schools in Dubai
- IB schools in Dubai: seven international-curriculum schools
- Dubai school entrance assessments and the CAT4 test
- The Dubai school tour: what to ask and what to watch for
- A child with no English at a Dubai school
- School first, home second: where to live near a Dubai school
The essentials
Short answers to what people most often arrive with on this subject. Every figure states the period it belongs to — rates, visa thresholds and yields move.
How much do school meals cost?
A meal plan with a hot or cold option costs around AED 25–30 a day (a 2023/24 benchmark). You can also send your child with a lunch box from home.
How many days a week do children attend?
Monday to Friday. Since 1 January 2022 Friday has been a short day at every school, ending at 11:20–12:00.
How many children are in a class?
Usually up to 20–25. In the younger year groups a teaching assistant works alongside the teacher.
Is there a school bus?
At most schools, yes, paid for separately. You can book it one way or both ways.
Can I sign up for clubs for the whole year?
No. ECA registration opens online at the start of each term, and the school announces the date in advance. Places in popular groups go quickly.
This material is provided for information purposes and does not constitute individual investment advice. Property returns depend on many factors and are not guaranteed.