SABIS Curriculum Schools in the UAE

What is the this curriculum?

The this curriculum is one of the most established educational pathways available to families in the UAE. It is structured around a clearly defined sequence of stages, with formal external assessments at key transition points and a recognised university entry route in dozens of countries. For expat families who plan to repatriate, or who want their child's qualifications to travel internationally, this offers continuity and global portability that some other curricula don't.

In the UAE, this schools are regulated by the relevant emirate authority (KHDA in Dubai, ADEK in Abu Dhabi, SPEA in Sharjah) and inspected on the same framework as other private schools. That means the headline rating you'll see on a school's profile is directly comparable across curricula — a Good this school and a Good American or IB school are held to comparable inspection standards.

Why parents in the UAE choose this

Families pick this schools for three main reasons. The first is home-country continuity. If you'll return at some point — even five or ten years from now — having your child on a curriculum that lines up with the home-country system makes re-entry straightforward. The second is university pathways. this-issued qualifications open doors to a defined set of universities globally, and your child's school counsellor will be deeply familiar with the application process. The third is cohort fit — children tend to make friends with families on the same curricular track, and that shapes social life as much as academic life.

The trade-off is breadth versus depth. this, like every curriculum, has its strengths and the areas where other systems do it better. We cover those candidly in the comparison section below.

How many schools offer this in the UAE

Our database currently lists 11 schools in the UAE offering the this curriculum, distributed across the emirates as follows: Abu Dhabi (4); Dubai (2); Sharjah (2); Al Ain (1); Ras Al Khaimah (1).

Fees and total cost of a this education

Annual fees at this schools in the UAE span a wide range. At the affordable end (under AED 30,000) you find community schools and well-run mid-sized providers; the strongest of these can match more expensive schools on outcomes if not on facilities. The mid-tier (AED 30-60,000) is where most established families settle. The premium tier (AED 60-100,000) is where you find the flagship this brands with the strongest university destinations and the highest fee structure to match.

Don't forget exam-board entry fees in the final years (a this student typically sits multiple external exams costing several thousand dirhams in total per series), and the cost of devices, uniform, school trips and exam-prep tutoring. The all-in cost of a this education from FS1 to Year 13 is significant — budget carefully, and check what's included in tuition vs what is billed separately.

Curriculum vs alternatives — head to head

The this curriculum is rarely a clear winner against every alternative — it depends on what you want. Compared with the IB Diploma, this tends to allow more specialisation and depth in fewer subjects, which suits students who already know their direction. Compared with the American curriculum, this is generally more externally examined and less coursework-heavy. Compared with CBSE/ICSE, this is structurally less compressed and gives more room for exploration in the middle years.

The right choice depends on your child's working style, your university destinations, and how confident you are that you'll stay on the same curriculum until graduation. We recommend reading our dedicated comparison articles before committing.

How to choose the right school

Once you've decided on this, the choice between schools is the harder problem. Visit at least three. Ask each principal for their results for the last three years, not just the last one — trend lines reveal more than headlines. Ask about teacher tenure (a school with constant turnover is unstable). Ask where their graduates went to university. Ask to speak to a current parent if you can.

If your child is old enough, take them on the tour. The expression on their face when they see the library, the playground, or a Year-group taster lesson is telling — it's also a useful tiebreaker between two schools you've narrowed it down to.

Frequently asked questions

Is this accepted by UAE universities?

Yes. UAE universities — both public (UAEU, Khalifa, Zayed) and the major private and international branch campuses — accept this qualifications. Specific entry requirements vary by university and course, but the qualification itself is mainstream and well-understood.

Is this respected by UK / US / Indian universities?

this qualifications are recognised globally. UK universities accept them via UCAS, US universities evaluate them alongside SAT/ACT, and Indian universities will require the appropriate equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities. Your school's counsellor will guide the process.

Can my child switch into this mid-school?

Yes, particularly in the early and middle years. The closer to a public-examination year you are, the more care is needed — switching into the final two years of this from a different system is possible but demands strong communication between the old and new schools.

How does this differ from the UAE Ministry curriculum?

The UAE MoE curriculum is taught primarily in Arabic, follows a national programme and leads to the Emirati Secondary Certificate. this schools follow an internationally-recognised programme, are taught primarily in English (with Arabic and Islamic Studies as additional subjects), and lead to externally-set qualifications recognised internationally.

What is the cheapest good this school?

Filter the Schools Compared directory by 'Curriculum: this' and 'Rating: Good or above' and sort by fees ascending. The current top picks change with each inspection cycle, so we keep that filter live rather than fixing the answer in this article.

The next step

You don't have to make this decision alone. Schools Compared brings together every KHDA, ADEK and SPEA-rated school in the UAE in one place, with parent reviews, fee bands, curriculum filters and direct enquiry buttons that go straight to the school's admissions office — no spam, no aggressive sales calls, no middlemen.

Enquire + Compare. Open the Schools Compared directory, filter to the criteria that matter to your family, shortlist three to five schools, and enquire to all of them in one sitting. You'll have replies in 24-48 hours and can book visits the same week.

Last updated: 2026/27 academic year. We refresh ratings, fees and inspection data each term. If you spot anything out of date, email future@schoolscompared.org and we'll fix it within 48 hours.