LATEST: Harrow's UAE schools to charge up to Dh100,000 for primary years
Helipads, Olympic-level facilities and an esports centre – a new Dubai school aims to be first in its class when it opens in August.
Fees at Gems School of Research and Innovation will range from Dh116,000 ($31,500) for pupils in foundation stage one to Dh206,000 ($56,000) in year 12.
Built with an investment of $100 million (Dh367 million), the campus in Dubai Sports City will feature an elevated football field that doubles as a helipad, a 600-seat auditorium, an Olympic-size swimming pool and an NBA-spec basketball court.
It will also include disruption labs to develop entrepreneurial skills, specialist primary spaces for technology, design, sports and the arts, alongside tech hubs and an immersive research centre.
In its first year, the school will accept pupils from foundation stage one to year six, with a discount of 20 per cent on tuition fees for founding families.
Students will engage with artificial intelligence, robotics, esports, and game design from an early age while exploring specialist languages, arts, sports, engineering and business, Gems Education outlined.
Maryssa O’Connor, senior vice president of education at Gems Education, told The National how tech will be at the centre of learning for its pupils. Partnerships with tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, HP and Play Tech Centre will provide real-world learning opportunities to pupils.
Pupils will also have access to the Gems for Life Programme, which will help them connect with schools worldwide, participate in Unesco conferences, become global ambassadors and gain access to prestigious universities and top-tier employers.
During the early years, the pupils will be introduced to a broader curriculum with immersive learning using virtual reality.
Ms O'Connor explained this will benefit language development, giving children an opportunity to learn French and Spanish while transporting them to specific parts of those countries. "This will really give them the cultural awareness of why language is so important," she added.
Baz Nijjar, vice president of Education Technology and Digital Innovation, added that they are "reimagining how technology can be integrated into the curriculum" to enhance learning outcomes.
The "school's ecosystem" will engage teachers, parents and pupils in the learning journey, Ms O’Connor said. She added that it will help educators "support or change the course of their learning path" to ensure children achieve "the best in every subject".
Extended school timings
The school will offer flexible pick-up and drop-off times. Potentially, pupils could be engaged at the school from 6.30am to 5.30pm and also be at school on Saturday mornings.
“This will be a long working week for children, there'll be lots of opportunities for them to engage in all these wonderful facilities and with the expert teaching and coaching,” said Ms O’Connor.
Teacher recruitment
"Each [teacher] has been carefully recruited from the UK and across the world to inspire, guide and challenge our students,” highlighted Sunny Varkey, chairman and founder of Gems Education and the Varkey Foundation.
This school will also function as a research hub, encouraging research-minded teachers to team up with "universities and research organisations such as the OECD and other global centres".
Mr Varkey said: “We expect our teachers to be publishing this research, then sharing that within the Gems group and also globally to inform the educational standards elsewhere. We want to be leaders in education.”
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
Super-premium schools open in Dubai
Last year, UAE education provider Taaleem announced it had acquired the rights to own and operate Harrow International Schools across the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
The UK’s elite 452-year-old Harrow School in London, which has alumni among royalty and world leaders, will open in the next year.
Fiona McKenzie, education consultant and head of Carfax Education, said: “There's lots more coming. I do think there is a demand for the super-premium among a certain demographic who want the very best education for their child, and they want all the kinds of additional extras, and they want perhaps the brand name that's associated with that school.
“The super-premium schools will do well at the moment because the population in Dubai is growing so fast. There's more diversity in the population.
“But the market is quite polarised, there's a huge demographic here for whom those super-premium schools are out of their reach and out of their budget, and they want more just good, solid schools that are going to give their children a good education and get them into a good university.”
She said that as long the education market met every need, it would continue to flourish.
“Because the population of Dubai is growing, each segment of the population is growing, so therefore that demographic that wants that super-premium is also growing," said Ms McKenzie.
She said education remained a top priority for families and was something they would cut back on last. "For some people, they equate, super-premium with the best educational opportunities," she said.
She said super-premium schools needed to deliver on the high fees they charged.
“You can't just charge those fees. What are you giving the families in return?" she said. "I think the first thing you're looking at is the calibre of the staff." She said families also have high expectations for facilities in those schools.
The number of pupils enrolled in Dubai's private schools increased by six per cent this academic year, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
There are 387,441 pupils enrolled at 227 private schools in the academic year 2024-25. Official statistics showed more than 365,000 pupils were enrolled in Dubai's classrooms in 2023, up from 326,000 in November 2022. Ten schools opened in the emirate for the current academic year. In line with Dubai's Education Strategy 2033, the KHDA aims to establish more than 100 private schools by 2033.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Company%20profile
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
