Dubai has evolved into one of the world’s leading hubs for trade and business. Professionals worldwide are flocking to Dubai to work there. The Indian population in Dubai as of 2023 is 1.5 million out of the total population of 3.7 million. This vast Indian expatriate community in Dubai naturally requires a strong network of good Indian schools providing quality education and all-round development for their children, helping them stay connected to their roots.
Thankfully for all you Indian parents in Dubai, there are a number of very good Indian schools that follow the curriculum set by the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Board as well as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Let us take a look at the best Indian schools in Dubai, looking particularly at their location, grades, fees and the rating by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the authority of the Dubai government responsible for ensuring the quality and growth of education at private institutions in Dubai.
Indian ICSE Schools in Dubai
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) conducts the ICSE or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education examination at the Grade X level and the ISC or Indian School Certificate examination at the Grade XII level.
1. Gems Modern Academy:
Gems Modern Academy in Nad Al Sheba is one of the best ICSE schools in Dubai. The school offers classes for grades Pre-KG through Grade XII.
Gems Modern Academy has excellent facilities such as a library with a good selection of books, a sensorial garden, ICT suites, a garden for meditation, Budhyana – The Spark Lab, a STEM lab and Makers Space Innovation Centre.
Gems Modern Academy follows the trend set by all GEMS schools located in Dubai inasmuch as it has great facilities for sports for the students. There are swimming pools, football fields, gyms, cricket grounds, basketball courts and a hall which is used for multiple purposes.
KHDA has rated Gems Modern Academy as ‘Outstanding’ and with the fees ranging from AED 29,505 to AED 70,351, it is among the more expensive Indian schools in Dubai.
2. JSS International School:
JSS International School, located in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), has classes from the Pre-KG level till Grade XII. JSS International School aims not only to prepare their students academically but also to develop them on the personal fronts and ingrain the virtue of professionalism in them at an early age so as to allow them to be successful in their careers.
JSS International School believes in activity-based learning and has a campus with every modern facility and staff who are dedicated to the students. JSS International School has science labs, an IT lab, a project room, a counselling centre, and a library that is well stocked with books, apart from state-of-the-art lecture halls and an auditorium. The school additionally provides a transportation facility to students at nominal rates.
KHDA has rated JSS International School as ‘Outstanding’, and the fees range from AED 15,150 to AED 39,532.
3. Ambassador School:
Ambassador School in Mankhool, Bur Dubai, was established in 2010. The school has grades from Pre-KG to Grade XII, and with its values of “Inspire, Inquire and Innovate”, aims to make its students responsible members of society.
The school campus has a swimming pool, sports courts, separately demarcated recreation and play areas, and a modern auditorium. The school encourages the students towards literature and to this end has provided them with a library with a number of titles.
The KHDA rating for Ambassador School is ‘Good’ and the fees range from AED 17,134 to AED 43,558.
Indian CBSE Schools in Dubai
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) follows an innovative curriculum and conducts examinations at the Grade X and Grade XII levels.
1. The Indian High School (IHS):
The Indian High School, founded in 1961, is one of the first schools opened in Dubai for the children of the expatriate community. The Indian High School has 3 campuses in Dubai: Dubai Silicon Oasis, Oud Metha and Al Garhoud. The Indian High School campus in Al Garhoud has grades of KG to Grade IV, and the Indian High School campus at Metha has classes for students in grades V to XII.
The Indian High Schools focus on the health and well-being of the students along with education and come equipped with excellent facilities for sports and extra-curricular activities such as reading corners, recess radio, kidzy labs and techno-vacation hub.
The Indian International School located at Dubai Silicon Oasis offers classes in grades KG to Grade X and comes equipped with numerous facilities such as a gym, yoga room, swimming pool, football field, basketball court, table tennis facilities, play area for KG students, an auditorium and their own library.
KHDA has rated the campus at Oud Metha as ‘Very Good’ and the campus at Al Garhoud as ‘Good’. The fees for the Al Garhoud and Oud Metha schools range from AED 5,525 to AED 21,000 and for the DSO school, the fees are between AED 14,290 and AED 21,000.
2. Delhi Private School:
Delhi Private School, Dubai, located in Jebel Ali was established in 2003. It is a co-educational school offering classes in the Grades of KG to Grade XII, catering to the requirement of Indian parents located in the areas of The Gardens, Al Furjan and Discovery Gardens for a school providing quality education, and charging low fees.
Delhi Private School has a huge campus that is segregated into 5 distinct blocks as per the grades and also includes a sports complex block with a swimming pool, basketball court, volleyball court, table tennis room, an auditorium and a multi-purpose hall. The Delhi Private School campus also has a cricket field, a cafeteria, two clinics, three computer labs, language labs, and a lab for mathematics, chemistry, and physics.
The KHDA rating for Delhi Private School is ‘Very Good’ and the fees range from AED 10,833 to AED 15,234.
3. Primus Private School:
Primus Private School, located in Al Warqa and established in 2009, is a very popular Indian school located in Dubai, offering classes in grades KG to Grade XII. Apart from academics, the school focuses on developing essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.
Primus Private School has a number of facilities on their campus such as a football field, two swimming pools, an indoor sports area with table tennis boards, dedicated labs for computers and science, an auditorium, music rooms, a library, a play area and rumpus room for KG students.
KHDA has rated Primus Private School as ‘Good’, and the fees range from AED 9,638 to AED 22,731.
Other Schools
There are a number of other good schools for Indian students in Dubai. Their details are tabulated below:
Name of School | Location | Affiliated Board | Grades | Fees | KHDA Rating |
Al Quoz | CBSE | KG to Grade XII | AED 6,865 to AED 13,995 | Good | |
Al Khail Road | CBSE | Pre-KG to Grade XII | AED 22,039 to AED 31,025 | Very Good | |
Al Quoz 4 | CBSE | Pre-KG to Grade XII | AED 14,534 to AED 32,960 | Good | |
Al Warqa 3 | CBSE | KG to Grade XII Co-ed till Grade IV and only for girls from Grade V to Grade XII | AED 7,454 to AED 15,772 | Very Good | |
Al Ittihad Road | CBSE | KG to Grade VIII | AED 14,930 to AED 18,020 | Good | |
Muhaisnah 4 | CBSE | KG to Grade XII | AED 9,330 to AED 18,650 | Good | |
Al Quoz 1 | CBSE | KG to Grade XII | AED 17,176 to AED 34,824 | Good | |
Garhoud | CBSE and Kerala State Board | KG1 to Grade XII | AED 4,147 to AED 7,216 | Acceptable |
Conclusion
As you have just seen, there are a number of Indian schools following the Indian curriculum of ICSE, CBSE and even Kerala State Board in Dubai. The fees too are of different ranges. Nearly all the schools have very good facilities for their students and tend to be rated quite high by KHDA. Check the facilities offered by the different schools, their results and the KHDA rating before you decide on which schools you would like to approach for admission for your children.
