01 · Affordability
Can we afford the full 14 years?
AED 1,343,513
Total real cost across 14 years of published fees (tuition + transport + books + uniform + activities).
KHDA data · verified 24 Aug 2026
Very Good
IB · AL BARSHA FIRST
Dubai International Academy Albarsha
Pre Primary-G12 · Est. 2018
Our Take
StableVery Good rating with at-market fees. No red flags from the data.
Solid mid-pack option. Re-evaluate when the 2026-27 KHDA inspection cycle resumes. That is when ratings will refresh after the two-year freeze.
- Some additional fees are estimated. KHDA fact sheet pending verification.
- Rating is from KHDA's most recent published inspection of this school. Read the full report via the source links below.
- Additional costs above tuition are AED 19,600/year. That is higher than 90% of Dubai schools.
Cheaper alternatives · same or better rating · within 15 km
- GEMS Our Own Indian School
Very Good · 8.3 km away
-AED 58,833/yr
AED 8,061/yr
- JSS Private School L.L.C
Very Good · 9.8 km away
-AED 51,967/yr
AED 14,927/yr
- The Winchester School - DUBAI BRANCH
Very Good · 12.0 km away
-AED 48,635/yr
AED 18,259/yr
No school paid for this take · Computed from KHDA data + our rules
Real Cost Calculator
Dubai mediansYear 4 tuitionAED 68,466 / year
+ Additional fees (est.)AED 19,600 / year
Estimated real costAED 88,066 / year
≈ AED 7,339 / month
Tuition is the exact KHDA-published figure. Additional fees are estimates within the ranges each school discloses to KHDA (transport, books, uniform, activities); KHDA’s own “Total Fees” line shows tuition only.
Source: KHDA Year 4 fact sheet ↗
KHDA-published 2026-27 fees, verified against KHDA on 24 Aug 2026.
Or start the conversation free: ask Murshid about this school →
✓ Verified against KHDA
Auto-verified · 24 Aug 2026
Every number on this page traces to an official KHDA record. Check us:
Spot an error on this page? Report it and we correct within a week, logged publicly on the corrections log.
Principal: David Robert Charles Hicks · from KHDA’s directory, re-checked weekly. Meet the agents
Sunday note from Ambika
One short email each week. What I am seeing in Dubai school searches, fee changes, and the deadlines parents miss. No spam.
No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
Is this the right fit?
5 answers · <1 min read
The five questions every Dubai parent asks before a 14-year AED-million commitment, answered with Dubai International Academy Albarsha’s actual data.
02 · Commute
Will the 7am school run work?
Drop your pin for a personalised commute. Start your search →
Rush-hour from popular areas
- Downtown11.4 km · ~32 min
- Dubai Marina7.7 km · ~23 min
- JVC6.6 km · ~21 min
- Arabian Ranches10.7 km · ~31 min
03 · Academic tier
Is the DSIB rating right for my child?
Very Good. Above the Dubai average. A well-run school with consistent results.
Meets expectations on most indicators; few serious weaknesses.
Ranks in the top 33% of Dubai schools by rating
04 · University pathway
Does the curriculum match our plan?
IB Diploma → universities worldwide
The most globally portable option, respected by every major university system. Heavy workload; suits academically confident students.
05 · Trade-offs
What am I trading off vs the median Very Good school?
- Fee vs tier median
- +AED 10,983
- Tier median: AED 55,911
- Size vs tier median
- —
- Peers compared
- 47 schools
- Same DSIB tier
School Profile
Annual tuition range · 18 grades published
AED 53,111 – 96,309
- Curriculum
- IB
- Grades Offered
- Pre Primary-G12
- Year Established
- 2018
- Principal
- Ian Thurston
- Telephone
- 97145244800
DSIB Rating
Current rating: Very Good
Rating history timeline coming soon.
Dubai School Finder
Dubai International Academy Albarsha
IB · AL BARSHA FIRST
Year group
Year 4
Headline tuition
From the school's website
- + Return school bus(optional)school discloses 9,000–11,000AED 9,500
- + Books & learning materials(est.)AED 650
- + Uniformschool discloses 800–3,000AED 1,900
- + Extra-curricular activities(optional)school discloses 100–15,000AED 7,550
Estimated real cost
≈ AED 7,339 per month
AED 88,066
dubaischoolfinder.ae
Estimated · KHDA averages
Curated by Dr. Ambika Yadav · Independent of schools
Shareable on WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack.
Fee Comparison
At market · 54th percentileDubai International Academy AlbarshaAED 66,894
Curriculum medianAED 62,984
Schools like Dubai International Academy Albarsha
Same curriculum, similar area, comparable fees.
What Parents Actually Pay
For Year 4, Dubai International Academy Albarsha charges AED 66,894 in tuition. With estimated transport (AED 7,140), books and materials (AED 650), uniform (AED 800), activities (AED 1,155), and activities-level extras, the estimated real cost is approximately AED 76,639 — or AED 6,387 per month. That is AED 9,745 more than the headline tuition fee.
Estimate based on KHDA averages. Exact figures available when KHDA fact sheet data is added.