Gems Education is setting up Dubai's most expensive school with USD 100 mn investment

Gems Education to open the most expensive school in Dubai: Dubai-based private school operator Gems Education plans to open the Gems School of Research and Innovation in August 2025, with an investment ticket of USD 100 mn, according to a press release. The school is expected to become the most expensive in Dubai, with annual tuition fees reaching as high as USD 56k.

The details: The school will initially offer the British curriculum for Foundation Stage 1 through Year 6, with fees starting at AED 116k and increasing to AED 152k for Year 6. As the school expands to include grades 7 through 12, fees are projected to reach AED 206k (USD 56k), according to the school’s website.

The campus will span 47.6k sqm and feature a 600-seat auditorium, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a football field that can also serve as a helipad. Additional facilities will include robotics labs and engineering workshops, all aimed at attracting expatriate families relocating to Dubai.

In context: Expatriates constitute 90% of UAE residents, with over 80% of families allocating a significant portion of their income — often one-third — toward educational costs. The local education system is largely inaccessible to expatriate children, as many public schools are reserved for Emirati students.

ICYMI: Gems Education opened a branch of the Gems Founders School in the Dubai South Residential District last year, offering the British curriculum for students from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 8.