Relocation guide

Moving to Abu Dhabi with kids

Computed from 17 tracked schools — verified fees, live availability, no brochure numbers. All relocation guides →

In Abu Dhabi, a realistic working budget is about $17,800 a year per child, with most annual fees clustering in a narrow upper-middle band from roughly $15,200 at the lower quartile to about $18,600 at the upper; for senior years, the median is AED 76,952, with a quartile spread of AED 66,385 to AED 80,735. Fee growth looks manageable rather than trivial: with citywide median inflation running at 2.2% a year, a five-year posting implies a steady upward drift rather than a one-off jump. Choice is substantial but not limitless: among 17 schools, families are mainly choosing between British (10), IB (7) and American (5), with just one Alberta and one Canadian option. Admission is tight right now: pressure is rated Severe, with 7 schools on waitlist and only 1 assessed as open.