01 · Affordability
Can we afford the full 14 years?
AED 1,417,345
Total real cost across 14 years of published fees (tuition + transport + books + uniform + activities).
KHDA data · verified 24 Aug 2026
Outstanding
American · AL BARSHA SOUTH FIRST
GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai Branch
KG1-G12 · Est. 1997
Real Cost Calculator
Dubai mediansYear 4 tuitionAED 93,300 / year
+ Additional fees (est.)AED 12,285 / year
Estimated real costAED 105,585 / year
≈ AED 8,799 / 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.
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✓ Verified against KHDA
Auto-verified · 24 Aug 2026
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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 GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai Branch’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
- Downtown13.9 km · ~38 min
- Dubai Marina4.9 km · ~17 min
- JVC6.3 km · ~20 min
- Arabian Ranches11.6 km · ~33 min
03 · Academic tier
Is the DSIB rating right for my child?
Outstanding. Top tier. The school is performing at the highest standard KHDA recognises.
Strong academic outcomes, leadership, and student personal development.
Ranks in the top 11% of Dubai schools by rating
04 · University pathway
Does the curriculum match our plan?
GPA + AP → US universities (and beyond)
Best fit if the US is plan A. Broad curriculum, AP courses strengthen applications. UK universities accept strong AP portfolios.
05 · Trade-offs
What am I trading off vs the median Outstanding school?
- Fee vs tier median
- +AED 33,238
- Tier median: AED 57,920
- Size vs tier median
- —
- Peers compared
- 22 schools
- Same DSIB tier
School Profile
Annual tuition range · 16 grades published
AED 66,185 – 93,300
- Curriculum
- American
- Grades Offered
- KG1-G12
- Year Established
- 1997
- Principal
- Ethan Joe David Hildreth
- Telephone
- 97147049777
- Website
- www.gemsaa-dubai.com
DSIB Rating
Current rating: Outstanding
Rating history timeline coming soon.
Dubai School Finder
GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai Branch
American · AL BARSHA SOUTH FIRST
Year group
Year 4
Headline tuition
From the school's website
- + Return school bus(optional)school discloses 6,480–10,200AED 8,635
- + Books & learning materials(est.)AED 650
- + Uniformschool discloses 500–2,500AED 1,500
- + Extra-curricular activities(optional)AED 1,500
Estimated real cost
≈ AED 8,799 per month
AED 105,585
dubaischoolfinder.ae
Estimated · KHDA averages
Curated by Dr. Ambika Yadav · Independent of schools
Shareable on WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack.
Fee Comparison
GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai BranchAED 91,158
Curriculum medianAED 33,678
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Same curriculum, similar area, comparable fees.
What Parents Actually Pay
For Year 4, GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai Branch charges AED 91,158 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 100,903 — or AED 8,409 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.