Abu Dhabi residents have plenty of top-rated options when it comes to choosing the best private schools for their children.
There are more than 200 nurseries and schools in the emirate offering various curriculums.
All institutions in Abu Dhabi are periodically inspected by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) as part of its Irtiqaa evaluation programme. The inspections are usually conducted every two years, and inspectors spend about four days in each school.
The evaluation is based on five main criteria: students’ achievement, personal and social development along with innovation skills of students, quality of teaching and assessment, quality of the curriculum, and the overall school leadership and management.
The schools are rated on a scale using the following categories: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak or Very Weak. Abu Dhabi private schools are now required to display performance ratings on plaques placed prominently at their entrances.
The 2025-2026 fees in this report are from the school websites, where available, or from Tamm. Any fee increases must be approved by Adek and schools are required to display annual fees and easy payment plans on their websites. The amounts mentioned do not include transportation costs, registration fees or other charges.
Listed below are the 13 private schools that currently have an Outstanding rating from Adek (in no particular order). The last rating given is valid until the next inspection.
American Community School, Saadiyat Island
Curriculum: American (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh56,526 in KG1 to Dh99,060 in Grade 12
The American Community School of Abu Dhabi relocated to Saadiyat Island in 2024, after operating for 50 years from their Bateen Campus.
Cranleigh School, Saadiyat Island
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh71,500 in pre-school to Dh105,980 in Year 13
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi opened in 2014 and is one of the schools under Aldar’s education portfolio.
Repton Foundation School, Al Reem Island
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2024-2025)
Fees: Dh63,740 in FS1 to Dh70,700 in Year 2
The primary school on Rose Campus offering FS1, FS2 and Year 1 has a sister school (rated Very Good in 2021-2022) which offers Year 2-13 on its Fry Campus.
Muna British Academy, Al Danah
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh50,936 in FS1 to Dh56,538 in Year 7
The primary-focused school currently offers admissions until Year 7, with plans to expand to Year 13.
Bateen World Academy, Al Manhal
Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB) (Rated Outstanding in 2024-2025)
Fees: Dh54,000 in FS1 to Dh75,310 in Year 13
Bateen World Academy is part of Aldar Education offering both IB and English National Curriculum. The rating for the school improved to Outstanding in the latest Adek inspections.
The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for boys, Al Khalidiyah
Curriculum: American (Rated Outstanding in 2024-2025)
Fees: Dh45,000 in pre-school to Dh78,050 in Grade 12
This school is part of the Sheikh Zayed Private Academies group which have a co-ed system from pre-KG to Grade 3, after which students transition into an all-boys or an all-girls school.
The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for girls, Al Manhal
Curriculum: American (Rated Outstanding in 2024-2025)
Fees: Dh33,910 in pre-school to Dh78,160 in Grade 12
A sister school to the Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for boys, this institution offers Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks as well, in co-ordination with the MOE curriculum.
The British School Al Khubairat, Al Mushrif
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh51,410 in FS1 to Dh74,560 in Year 13
The non-profit school was founded in 1968 and is known as the ‘Embassy School’. It functions under the patronage of the British Ambassador to the UAE, according to the school’s website.
Canadian International School, Khalifa City
Curriculum: Canadian (Rated Outstanding in 2023-2024)
Fees: Dh39,010 in KG 1 to Dh51,820 in Grade 12
This school follows the Canadian Alberta curriculum in co-ordination with the UAE Ministry of Education.
Merryland International School, Mussaffah
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh26,200 in KG1 to Dh46,220 in Grade 12
This school follows the Cambridge International Curriculum (CIE) for core subjects and the National Curriculum of England for non-core subjects.
The British International School, Zayed City
Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB) (Rated Outstanding in 2021-2022)
Fees: Dh54,204 in FS1 to Dh76,952 in Year 13
The school opened in 2009 and is part of the UK-headquartered Nord Anglia Education group of international schools.
Yasmina British Academy, Khalifa City
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh49,740 in FS1 to Dh67,270 in Year 13
Yasmina British Academy is part of the Aldar Academies family of schools and has also been rated as Outstanding by the British Schools Overseas (BSO).
The inspection report for each school is available to the public and can be downloaded from the Tamm app. You can also filter the school lists by fees, rating, and grade.
Brighton College Al Ain (Bloom Academy)
Curriculum: British (Rated Outstanding in 2022-2023)
Fees: Dh55,090 in FS1 to Dh90,630 in Year 13
The British-curriculum school in Al Ain is part of the Bloom Education group and has also been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by BSO in 2023.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Everything Now
Arcade Fire
(Columbia Records)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
Pathaan
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
FULL%20RESULTS
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THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
