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School starts in 10 days: Here’s what UAE parents can expect to spend
From uniforms to transport, trips and extracurriculars, UAE parents reveal how expenses can add up — and experts share how families can plan for the year ahead
- PUBLISHED: Thu 20 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM
[Editor’s Note: This article is part of Khaleej Times’ Schools and Parents, a dedicated section designed to support families in the UAE as they explore educational choices. The section offers explainers, guidance from education leaders, expert advice and insights from parents to help readers make informed decisions about schools, curricula and communities.]
With schools across the UAE preparing to reopen on August 31, parents are not just getting their children ready for the classroom — they are also bracing for the bills that come with the new academic year.
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Tuition is usually the biggest and most visible education expense, but it is far from the only one. Uniforms, books, stationery, transport, devices, meals, activities and school trips can add hundreds or even thousands of dirhams to a family’s annual spending.
For parents with more than one child, those costs can quickly multiply.
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Pakistani expat Nighat Abbas, who has four daughters in school and university, estimates that her family needs around Dh10,000 for non-tuition expenses for her four children, including uniforms, books and transport.
“With tuition fee the back-to-school expenses are my husband’s two months’ salary. But without the tuition fees we need around Dh8,000-Dh10,000 for non-tuition stuff for four children,” she said.
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Three of Abbas’ daughters use public transport, while her youngest takes the school bus. Payment schedules can add another layer of pressure, with some school fees being paid quarterly.
“For two children my husband makes payment on a monthly basis and for two we make a quarterly payment,” added the Pakistani expat.
For families trying to keep the back-to-school budget under control, the key is to look beyond the advertised tuition fee and identify which expenses are compulsory, which are optional and which can be planned or avoided altogether.
Where the back-to-school bill grows
For Emma Caldwell, an early visit to her son’s school uniform centre helped avoid the last-minute rush — but it did not prevent the list of expenses from growing.
Her son will move into Year 7 next year, when his uniform will change, so Caldwell decided to buy only one fresh set for Year 6.
“With the school start date getting closer, I wanted to get the uniform sorted early rather than deal with the long queues on the final weekend,” she said.
The uniform cost Dh175, while a new PE set cost Dh260 after the school changed its PE uniform this year.
“In total, the uniform bill came to Dh456,” added the British expat.
Caldwell spent a further Dh200 on black Adidas school shoes and Dh50 on three pairs of white cotton socks. For larger families, the cost can be considerably higher.
“For families with two children, especially those buying two sets of uniforms for each child, it would be easy to spend Dh1,500 per child on uniforms alone, even before adding shoes,” she said.
Then came technology. Her son’s old iPad began glitching, requiring the family to spend about Dh3,000 on a replacement.
“Devices are always an add-on,” she said. “We didn’t need to buy a new school bag, lunch box or water bottle this year because the ones we already have are still in good condition.”
That distinction — between replacing what is genuinely needed and buying everything new — can make a significant difference to the final bill.
Matthew Burfield, Executive Principal/CEO, GEMS Founders School – Dubai and Executive Vice President – Education, GEMS Education, said schools generally distinguish between compulsory and optional costs.
“In our school, compulsory costs include tuition fees as well as essential educational items such as uniforms, books, stationery and learning resources. Optional costs include transport, school meals, extracurricular activities, enrichment programmes, educational trips and certain specialist support services.”
He added, “As students move into the secondary and post-16 years, there can be additional costs associated with examination entry fees, specialist learning materials and enhanced enrichment opportunities. Students in these year groups often participate in different activities, leadership initiatives, university preparation events, overseas trips and graduation activities.”
The costs parents often overlook — and how to budget for them
Some of the biggest surprises may not come from the school’s fee schedule at all. Lisa Johnson, Superintendent, American Academy for Girls, said personal preferences and peer pressure can influence spending.
“Schools are generally very transparent about compulsory costs. However, the greatest variation often comes from personal choices and a little peer pressure,” she said.
“Children may need a backpack and pencil case, but the brand or style that is ‘in’ that year can quickly increase the price. At an all-girls school, I see how special markers, elaborate pencil cases and beautiful stationery can become part of the excitement.”
Optional expenses can include extracurricular activities, trips, photographs, carnivals and special events, while project work can sometimes require additional materials.
At Dubai British School, Principal Amy Falhi said the school has taken steps to reduce some costs for families.
In Foundation Stage, for example, children wear PE uniform throughout the week, while the school has changed its footwear policy so pupils can wear black trainers with both core and PE uniforms.
“We also encourage parents to be considered in how they purchase uniform. Children wear their PE kits on PE days and when participating in sports clubs, so we recommend starting with the basics and then ‘topping up’ once families receive their child’s timetable and have a clearer idea of what they will actually need.”
The school also runs second-hand uniform sales through its Community Committee.
“Our most significant compulsory purchase is technology. From Year 4 upwards, we operate a BYOD approach, with students requiring a 10th or 11th generation iPad. However, we have deliberately reviewed our curriculum and technology requirements so that the same device can support a child through to the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9). We recognise that an iPad is a significant investment and want families to get as much longevity from that purchase as possible.
In Secondary, students are also required to have a Yondr pouch for their mobile phone.
“This is a relatively small additional cost but an important part of our safeguarding and wellbeing approach, ensuring students are not accessing their phones during the school day,” added Falhi.
Transportation is another recurring cost that parents should factor into their annual education budget.
Noufal Ahmed, Founder and MD, Woodlem Education, said school transport fees can vary according to the route and service requirements.
“Our monthly transportation fees are kept affordable, generally ranging from Dh250 to Dh400, with the maximum depending on the route and service requirements.”
The company also offers a monthly payment option, which Ahmed said gives families greater flexibility when managing the recurring expense.
For parents, the broader lesson is to avoid treating these costs as unexpected bills when they are, in fact, predictable.
Marilyn L. Pinto, Founder of Dubai-based financial education company KFI Global, recommends looking at education as an annual household expense rather than focusing only on the monthly or termly school fee.
“Tuition is only part of what it actually costs to send a child to a particular school. There’s transport, uniforms, books, devices, meals, exam fees, trips, sports, extracurricular activities and sometimes tutoring.”
She also points to the smaller expenses that appear throughout the school year — activity days, costumes, photographs, events and charity contributions — which can be easy to overlook individually but significant when added together.
“A useful exercise is simply to go through the previous 12 months and work out what you actually spent on each child’s education. That gives you a far more realistic number to budget from than the published school fees.”
A practical back-to-school budgeting checklist
For UAE families preparing for the new academic year, a realistic education budget should include:
Tuition: Record the full annual fee and payment schedule.
Uniforms: Check what still fits before buying replacement sets.
Shoes and sportswear: Check school-specific requirements before shopping.
Books and stationery: Separate compulsory items from optional extras.
Technology: Check whether an existing laptop or tablet can continue to be used.
Transport: Add the full annual cost rather than treating the monthly payment separately.
Meals: Include school lunches or meal plans where applicable.
Activities and trips: Check expected extracurricular, enrichment and trip costs.
Exams: Older students may face examination entry and specialist learning costs.
Small expenses: Keep a buffer for photographs, activity days, costumes, events and projects.
Future costs: Factor in fee and expense increases as children move into higher year groups.
Pinto recommends dividing expected additional education costs across the year rather than scrambling to find the money when bills arrive.
“Look at education as an annual household expense. Estimate the likely extras for the year, divide that figure by 12 and put the money aside each month.”
The approach can make even a sizeable annual bill easier to absorb. A family expecting Dh12,000 in additional costs, for example, could set aside Dh1,000 a month.
Most importantly, parents do not have to treat every school-related expense as essential.
“Families should also feel comfortable deciding that some school-related expenses simply don’t fit their budget,” Pinto said. “An overseas trip, another extracurricular activity or a new device may be worthwhile, but that doesn’t automatically make it essential.”
For families with several children, planning ahead becomes even more important because expenses can overlap as children move into more expensive year groups.
Parents should therefore ask not only, “Can we afford this year’s school bill?”, but also, “What will education cost us over the next three to five years?”
She added, “Education is hugely important, but it still has to sit within the family’s wider financial plan.”
