Guides · Choosing a school by where you live
Choosing a school in Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa: 22 schools
This site lists 3 schools on its Mirdif page; Al Mizhar and Al Warqa, within 4 km, hold 19 more, every American and CBSE school among them.
Counts, ratings and 2026–27 tuition from KHDA's Education Directory, inspection reports and Fees Fact Sheets, checked 24 September 2026; calendar and bus-page dates are under Sources.
The three lists · map, KHDA ratings, 2026–27 fees
- Mirdif · 3 schoolsBritish 1 · Chinese 1 · IB 1
- Al Mizhar · 8 schoolsAmerican 5 · British 3 · Ministry 1
- Al Warqa 1, 3 and 4 · 11 schoolsAmerican 5 · British 3 · Indian CBSE 3 · IB 1
- Mirdif on the map
- Al Mizhar on the map
- Al Warqa on the map
- American schools here
- CBSE schools here
- Fees for every year group
Al Mizhar is 2.3 km from Mirdif and Al Warqa 3.4 km, measured in a straight line between the centres of the areas' schools, not as a route. The fee pages give every school's tuition for any year group, after the discount the school lists on its KHDA Fees Fact Sheet.
Three areas within 4 km of Mirdif
Families moving for a job at the airport, in Deira or in Dubai Festival City are often pointed to Mirdif. For schools, Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa work as one place to look; KHDA, the school regulator, files their schools under five area names, and this site shows them on three pages.
Mirdif itself has 3 schools, so the family that searches «schools in Mirdif» finds a short page. Al Mizhar, 2.3 km away, has 8, and Al Warqa, 3.4 km away, has 11 across Al Warqa 1, 3 and 4; Al Mizhar and Al Warqa are 5.7 km from each other. Together the three pages hold 22 schools, 10 of them American curriculum.
Arabic names on the Mirdif page: مدارس مردف · مدارس مردف الخاصة
The three pages and the KHDA area names of their schoolsAl Warqa 1, 3 and 4 are one page: Al Warqa 1: 6 schools · Al Warqa 3: 2 · Al Warqa 4: 3
KHDA area names as in KHDA's open data (November 2025); the counts are the three pages' own on 24 September 2026. A school whose KHDA name differs from the page it sits on shows the KHDA name on its row. School websites often write «Al Warqa'a» or «Warqaa» for the area this site calls Al Warqa.
Where the school actually stands
This site places each school where its building is and shows KHDA's area name beside it when the two differ. Here the point to check is less the KHDA name than the place in a school's own name: three schools are named after a place next to the one where their building stands. Search by the school's full name or on the map, not by the word in the name.
Mirdif American School stands in Al Mizhar and is Al Mizhar First to KHDA; it is on the Al Mizhar page, which is why a search for an American school «in Mirdif» finds none on the Mirdif page. Al Mawakeb School Al Khawaneej is also Al Mizhar First to KHDA and on the Al Mizhar page; its building stands in Al Mizhar, next to Al Khawaneej.
Sharjah American International Private School – Dubai is a Dubai school in Al Warqa 1, filed under Al Warqa First; the Sharjah in its name is not its address.
Two schools stand outside the area KHDA files them under. GEMS Royal Dubai School is Mirdif to KHDA and stands in Al Mizhar, so it is on the Al Mizhar page with «KHDA area: Mirdif» on its row. GEMS Our Own English High School is Al Warqa First to KHDA and stands in Al Warqa 3; its row on the Al Warqa page shows the KHDA name.
Neither is a mistake: KHDA registers the official community name, this site the name families use, and the two overlap only partly.
All 22 schools: curriculum, KHDA rating and 2026–27 fee
Mirdif has 3 private schools; Al Mizhar, 2.3 km away, has 8 and Al Warqa, 3.4 km away, has 11: 22 schools in all, 10 of them American curriculum. Tuition for the first year of primary in 2026–27 runs from AED 7,110 to AED 52,455 a year at the 20 schools that take children at that stage. KHDA has rated all 22, at inspections in 2023–24, and 15 hold Good or better.
The table lists every school on the three pages with its curriculum, its latest KHDA rating and the year of that inspection, and its 2026–27 tuition for one stage: Year 1 at British schools, KG2 at American, IB, MOE and Indian CBSE schools. That is the first year of primary in each system, the same stage the fee pages use, so the column compares like with like.
The 22 schools in Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa22 schools · page, then name · first year of primary, 2026–27 · ratings with their year
| first year of primary · AED | year of the rating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese School Dubai | Mirdif | Chinese | Starts at Grade 1 | 2023–24 |
| Star International School – Mirdif | Mirdif | British | AED 38,690 · Year 1approved AED 40,193 | 2023–24 |
| Uptown International School | Mirdif | IB | AED 52,455 · KG2approved AED 62,929 | 2023–24 |
| Al Mawakeb School Al Khawaneej | Al Mizhar | American | AED 39,209 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| American Academy for Girls | Al Mizhar | American | AED 40,695 · KG2approved AED 45,618 | 2023–24 |
| Arab Unity School | Al Mizhar | British | AED 7,110 · Year 1 | 2023–24 |
| Dubai Modern Education School | Al Mizhar | Ministry, American | AED 11,956 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar | Al Mizhar | British | AED 30,285 · Year 1 | 2023–24 |
| GEMS Royal Dubai SchoolKHDA area: Mirdif | Al MizharKHDA area: Mirdif | British | AED 50,753 · Year 1 | 2023–24 |
| Mirdif American School | Al Mizhar | American | AED 27,260 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| North American International School | Al Mizhar | American | AED 22,923 · KG2approved AED 30,664 | 2023–24 |
| Cedar School | Al Warqa 1 | British | AED 22,256 · Year 1approved AED 27,820 | 2023–24 |
| International Academic School | Al Warqa 1 | American | AED 14,992 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| Newlands School | Al Warqa 1 | British | AED 26,047 · Year 1 | 2023–24 |
| Our Own High School | Al Warqa 1 | Indian CBSE | AED 7,828 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| Primus Private School | Al Warqa 1 | Indian CBSE | AED 12,265 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| Sharjah American International Private School – Dubai | Al Warqa 1 | American | AED 20,544 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| GEMS Our Own English High SchoolKHDA area: Al Warqa First | Al Warqa 3KHDA area: Al Warqa First | Indian CBSE | AED 7,828 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| Ignite School | Al Warqa 3 | American | AED 29,682 · KG2 | 2023–24 |
| GEMS Al Khaleej International School | Al Warqa 4 | American, IB | AED 32,125 · KG2approved AED 36,096 | 2023–24 |
| The School of Research Science | Al Warqa 4 | British | AED 41,040 · Year 1 | 2023–24 |
| The School of Research Science US High School | Al Warqa 4 | American | Starts at Grade 9 | 2023–24 |
Two schools begin at a later year group, so their cell gives their first year group instead of a fee.
Tuition is the school's 2026–27 figure for that year group as listed on its KHDA Fees Fact Sheet, after the discount the sheet lists; where the sheet lists a discount, the approved figure is shown beside it. Uniforms, books, transport and exam fees are extra. The rating is the overall judgement of the school's latest KHDA inspection, with its school year.
For an older child: Fees for Year 5 · Fees for Year 7 · Fees by year group. Each school's page has its full fee schedule, its inspection reports and its calendar.
What the table shows
- Fees for this stage range from AED 38,690 to AED 52,455 at the two Mirdif schools that begin at that stage, from AED 7,110 to AED 50,753 in Al Mizhar and from AED 7,828 to AED 41,040 at the 10 Al Warqa schools with a figure.
- Of the 20 schools with a figure, 6 list it under AED 15,000, 6 between AED 15,000 and AED 30,000, 6 between AED 30,000 and AED 50,000 and 2 above AED 50,000. All six under AED 15,000 are in Al Mizhar or Al Warqa, and they include all three Indian CBSE schools.
- Ratings: 3 schools are Very good, 12 Good and 7 Acceptable. No school here is rated Outstanding, Weak or Very weak, and none is without a rating. All 22 ratings date from 2023–24, the last full cycle before KHDA's inspections paused.
- Six schools list a 2026–27 fee for this stage below the figure KHDA approved; the table shows both.
Three medians, three levels
KHDA's register shows the same spread in medians. For Year 5 (Grade 4) in 2024–25 the median fee was AED 49,588 in Mirdif, AED 31,477 in Al Mizhar First and AED 16,727 in Al Warqa First (Areas). The three areas are neighbours, but their fee levels are not; the Indian CBSE schools sit at the lower end of Al Warqa's.
American, British, Indian CBSE and other curricula here
Counting a school that teaches two curricula under each, the 22 schools break down as 10 American, 7 British, 3 Indian CBSE, 2 IB, 1 MOE and 1 Chinese. Mirdif has one British, one Chinese and one IB school; every American and every Indian CBSE school in the cluster is in Al Mizhar or Al Warqa. If the curriculum is already decided, this section says which page to open next.
American
Ten schools follow the American curriculum, 5 in Al Mizhar and 5 in Al Warqa, none in Mirdif. Each group is listed with map and fees: American curriculum schools in Al Mizhar, where tuition for KG2 in 2026–27 runs from AED 11,956 to AED 40,695, and American curriculum schools in Al Warqa, AED 14,992 to AED 32,125 for the four that begin at KG2.
One of the ten, American Academy for Girls, is a girls' school; two, Dubai Modern Education School and GEMS Al Khaleej International School, teach a second curriculum as well. Every American school in Dubai is at American curriculum schools in Dubai; the fee table is American school fees in Dubai 2026–27.
British
Seven schools follow the British curriculum: Star International School – Mirdif in Mirdif, 3 in Al Mizhar and 3 in Al Warqa, the last two groups listed at British curriculum schools in Al Mizhar and British curriculum schools in Al Warqa. Two of the seven stop before Year 13: GEMS Royal Dubai School at Year 8 and Cedar School at Year 9.
The city-wide fee table is British school fees in Dubai 2026–27.
Indian CBSE
Three schools are Indian CBSE, all in Al Warqa: Our Own High School, Primus Private School and GEMS Our Own English High School, listed together at Indian CBSE schools in Al Warqa, where tuition for Grade 1 in 2026–27 runs from AED 9,447 to AED 14,466. All three are on the CBSE board's SARAS register and run the April-to-March school year; see «Dates and applying» below.
Every CBSE school in Dubai is at Indian CBSE schools in Dubai; the fee table is CBSE school fees in Dubai 2026–27.
IB, MOE and Chinese
Two schools offer the IB: Uptown International School in Mirdif and GEMS Al Khaleej International School in Al Warqa, which KHDA lists as American and IB; both are on IB schools in Dubai. Dubai Modern Education School in Al Mizhar follows the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum alongside its American stream, and Chinese School Dubai in Mirdif follows a Chinese curriculum from Grade 1 to Grade 9.
The MOE and Chinese schools have no curriculum page of their own on this site; their pages are linked in the table, and all curricula are counted at Curricula.
What each system means, which exam it ends with and how a child moves between them: Choosing a curriculum in Dubai.
School buses: who says they serve Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa
Routes are set by each school and its operator, so this page repeats only what each school's own website says. Of the 22 schools, 18 say something about transport: four publish prices in AED, two print figures without a currency, seven publish the areas they serve, and the rest name an operator or a rule. Pages were read on 11 October 2026; routes and prices change from year to year, so confirm with the school before you sign a tenancy.
The websites of the other 4 did not describe their buses when we read them on 22 September 2026. They may still run buses, so ask the school's admissions team.
Of the three Mirdif schools, only Star International School – Mirdif describes its buses on its website, and it names an operator, not zones. A family in Mirdif therefore still relies on the lists of the Al Mizhar and Al Warqa schools, and on the schools elsewhere in the second group below.
The schools here, in their own words
Dubai Modern Education School · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- Category 1 covers Al Mizhar 1 and 2, Mirdif, Al Warqaa 1 to 4, Al Muhaisnah 1, Al Qusais, Al Twar and Al Khawaneej among others; Categories 2 and 3 reach Silicon Oasis, International City, Nad Al Shiba, Dubailand and Al Aweer. The full list is on the page.
- Fee
- Category 1: «2-Ways … 7,100 AED», one way 4,260; higher for Categories 2 and 3, full list on the page. «Fees are in AED and inclusive of 5% VAT.»
- Note
- «Service subject to seat availability at time of request»; «Refundable if notified 60 days before start date».
Arab Unity School · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · admissions page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- «56 Bus Routes», «16 Service Areas», across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman; the Dubai areas named are «Al Mizhar, Mirdif, Rashidiya, Deira, Bur Dubai, Karama, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, International City, Silicon Oasis, Al Barsha & more».
- Fee
- A 2026–27 table in AED by area, paid in three terms: «Mirdif / Mizhar / Muhaisna-1» AED 3,450 a year, «Rashidiya / Al Warqa / Oud Muteena» AED 3,795, up to AED 8,050 for JVC and Dubai Sports City. «A registration fee of AED 50 will apply if the student did not use the bus service during the 2025–26 academic year».
- Operator
- Regal Bus Transport (RBT); the school asks families to confirm the route with RBT before admission.
Newlands School · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-essentials page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- «13 different routes all over Dubai», one bus per area list: bus 3 serves Mirdif, bus 11 Al Warqa and bus 8 Ras Al Khor and Nad Al Hamar; others reach Business Bay and Meydan, Dubai Silicon Oasis, International City, DAMAC Hills, JVC and Arjan.
- Fee
- By term and distance from school: AED 6,810 a year below 10 km, AED 7,120 from 10 to 20 km and AED 7,430 above 20 km, with Term 1 the largest instalment (AED 2,724 to AED 2,972).
- Operator
- G1 (Guardian One).
Our Own High School · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transport (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- An «Area/Route» table whose first group is Al Warqa'a 1, Al Warqa'a 2 and Mirdif, followed by groups for Al Qusais, Silicon Oasis, Falcon City and International City; Deira, Bur Dubai and Karama; Al Quoz, Trade Center, Sharjah and Business Bay; Al Barsha 1, JLT, Sports City and JVC; Akoya and Town Square.
- Note
- No prices on the page. «The transport fee is applicable and charged for the academic year.»
- Operator
- STS Group.
GEMS Our Own English High School · Al Warqa 3
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transport (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- Route groups listed by area; the first is «Al Warqa'a 1, Al Warqa'a 2, Mirdif», and others reach Al Qusais, Rashidiya and Nad Al Hammar; Deira, Bur Dubai and Karama; Al Khail, Al Quoz and Sharjah; Al Barsha, JLT, Motor City and Dubai Investment Park; Akoya and Town Square. No prices on the page.
- Note
- «whilst we will do everything possible to offer your preferred route, we cannot guarantee availability of all bus route requests».
The School of Research Science · Al Warqa 4
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-bus page (opens in a new tab) · its US High School
- Fee
- «Prices start from AED 7,000, Cost depends on area and one-way or return service». The page carries no year. No zone list, only an area drop-down in its order form; its US High School shares this website.
American Academy for Girls · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- Arab Falcon Bus Rental LLC, contracted by the school and Taaleem.
- Note
- «Students from Grade 1 onwards can use the bus»; «There is no siblings discount for the school bus transport services»; a child who withdraws is refunded the unused months. No zones or prices on the page.
Primus Private School · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-transport page (opens in a new tab) · transport policy (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- «Primus Private School has outsourced the school bus transport to the following areas»: twelve rows, among them Mirdif and Rashidiya, Al Warqaa 1, International City and Al Barsha.
- Fee
- Each row prints a fee per month and an annual fee, without a currency: Mirdif and Rashidiya 350 and 3500, Al Warqaa 1 310 and 3100, up to 590 and 5900 for Al Barsha. Confirm the currency with the school.
- Note
- «Transportation service from / to Ajman is not available»; «There will be no discount if any student opts to use the service only one-way»; the bus is for Kindergarten to Grade 10.
Ignite School · Al Warqa 3
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · FAQ (opens in a new tab) · bus-transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- Arab Falcon Bus Rental LLC; buses «across several areas of Dubai & Sharjah».
- Note
- «Routes, pick-up points, and fees are shared during registration».
GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transport (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- STS Group; the page sends families to the school's STS Service Delivery Executive and gives no zones or prices.
GEMS Royal Dubai School · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transport (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- STS Group; the page sends families to the school's STS Service Delivery Executive and gives no zones or prices.
GEMS Al Khaleej International School · Al Warqa 4
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transportation (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- STS Group; the page sends families to the school's STS Service Delivery Executive and gives no zones or prices.
Cedar School · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · admissions page (opens in a new tab)
- Note
- «Cedar School offers school transport services across various areas of Dubai». No zones or prices.
Star International School – Mirdif · Mirdif
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- Busco; the page lists RTA compliance, GPS and RFID tracking, CCTV, a child safety button and a female bus attendant on board. No zones on the page; the fees are in a separate PDF.
Mirdif American School · Al Mizhar
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Operator
- Guardian One Transport, with a contact sheet and a transportation form as PDFs. No zones or prices on the page.
International Academic School · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- Seven routes by area: one is Al Warqaa 1 and 2; another groups Mirdif, Rashidiya, Al Warqaa 3 and 4, Muhaisnah, Mizhar, International City and Silicon Oasis among others. The full list is on the page.
- Fee
- The Al Warqaa 1 and 2 route prints 4,150 and the Mirdif route 5,450, without a currency, so confirm the fee with the school.
- Note
- «The Above Criterion Is Subject To Seat Availability And Route».
Sharjah American International Private School – Dubai · Al Warqa 1
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · student-transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Note
- Seating and cleaning rules for the buses: students «sit from the rear of the bus forward», and «All buses are cleaned and sanitized regularly». No operator, zones or prices on the page.
Schools elsewhere whose published routes name Mirdif, Al Mizhar or Al Warqa
Each line is the school's own wording in summary, from the page named, read 11 October 2026. Where a school stands is on its page; none of these seventeen is in the three areas.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport-fee page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- Zone 4 includes Al Qusais, «Mirdiff», Muhaisnah and Al Warqa among others: AED 4,170 a year one way and AED 6,200 both ways.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- Route 7 is Mirdif and Route 4 includes Al Warqa 1 to 4; the two-way «Yearly Fee 2026-27» prints 5,600 and 7,350, without a currency.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport route fees page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- One route serves Alwarqa, Rashidiya and Ras Al Khor; its «BUS FEE» prints 425, with no currency or period.
Hampton Heights International School
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- One row is «International City/Al Warqa/Mirdif», which prints 550 without a currency or a period.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab) · fee row in the Al Qusais guide
- Zones
- Six zones «in Dubai and Sharjah», the Dubai list including Rashidiya, «Mirdiff», Dubai Silicon Oasis and International City. The fee row is quoted in the Al Qusais guide.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- One route is «Karama, Satwa, Bur Dubai, Deira, Hamriya, Rashidiya, Garhoud, Mirdif». No prices on the page.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab) · fee range in the Al Qusais guide
- Zones
- The Dubai list includes Mirdif, «Al Warqaa 1, Al Warqaa 2», Rashidiya, Muhaisnah and Dubai Silicon Oasis; Sharjah areas are listed separately. The fee range is quoted in the Al Qusais guide.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- The school's «Zone 2» is labelled Deira and Mirdif, «Covering Deira, Al Nahda, Mirdif, Al Qusais».
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- One group lists Al Qusais, Mirdif, Nad Al Hamar, Al Twar, Muhaisnah, Al Warqa and Nad Al Sheba among others; the row prints 6,400 as the «2026-27 (Yearly Fee)», without a currency. Confirm the currency with the school.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- The «Deira Dubai» group includes Al Qusais, Al Twar, Al Rashidiya, Muhaisnah, Oud Al Muteena, Mirdif, Al Warqa and Nadd Al Hamar; the row prints 7,000 as the «2026-27 (Yearly Fee)», without a currency. Confirm the currency with the school.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Zones
- Zone 2 includes Mirdif alongside Dubai Marina, JVC, Motor City and Arabian Ranches.
by the school · read 22 September 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- One group is «JVC, DIP, Motor City/Rim Ram, International City, Ras Al Khor/Mirdiff, Rashidiya/Garhoudh, Al Nadha Dubai». No prices on the page. The site did not open for us on 11 October 2026, so this is what it said on 22 September.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · school-fees page (opens in a new tab) · row format in the Al Barsha guide
- Zones
- Zone 5 includes Silicon Oasis, Nad Al Sheba, Dubailand, Al Warqa, International City and Meydan; Zone 6 includes Dubai South, Damac Hills 2, Dubai Investment Park and Mirdif. Each row prints three figures; the row format is explained in the Al Barsha guide.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (in Russian) (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- The Dubai list starts with Mirdif and includes International City, Silicon Oasis, Business Bay and Nad Al Sheba; Sharjah routes are listed separately (our translation).
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transportation page (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- A single list of Dubai areas that includes Al Warqa, Mirdif, «Mizar», Muhaisnah 4 and Rashidiya. The page prints no labelled price, so none is quoted.
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · transport page (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- Both campuses, one page: the Oud Metha list names Mirdif (Uptown, Shorooq, Ghoroob). The same page lists Al Mizhar and Al Warqaa among the areas it does not currently cover (our translation).
The Winchester School – Jebel Ali
by the school · read 11 October 2026 · School Transport (opens in a new tab)
- Routes
- One Year 1 to Year 13 route group is «Al Qusais, Bur Dubai, Deira, International City, Karama, Mirdif, Motor City, Palm Jumeirah, Rashidiya, Satwa, Sports City».
What this tells a family choosing where to live
Every school here that publishes a zone list names Mirdif alongside Al Mizhar or Al Warqa, so a home in any of the three areas is on the published routes of several schools. Seventeen schools elsewhere in Dubai also name Mirdif, Al Mizhar or Al Warqa on their published routes. Several schools say in plain words that a seat depends on availability, so ask for written confirmation before you rely on it.
Transport prices across Dubai, from the Fees Fact Sheets: Other costs; for 2026–27 the typical range is AED 5,500 to AED 9,225 a year across 200 schools. What else comes with tuition: School costs beyond tuition in Dubai 2026–27.
Next door: Muhaisnah, Al Rashidiya, Nadd Al Hamar and the rest
If you live at the edge of one of these areas, a school in the next area may be closer than one on the far side of these three. The hub pages list the areas within 10 km, nearest first, by straight-line distance between the two areas' schools.
From Mirdif
- Al Mizhar8 schools2.3 km
- Al Warqa11 schools3.4 km
- Al Rashidiya3 schools3.6 km
- Nadd Al Hamar2 schools4.8 km
- Al Twar5 schools5.3 km
and 7 more within 10 km, on the Mirdif page
From Al Mizhar
- Mirdif3 schools2.3 km
- Muhaisnah13 schools4.2 km
- Al Rashidiya3 schools4.8 km
- Al Twar5 schools5.2 km
- Al Warqa11 schools5.7 km
and 6 more within 10 km, on the Al Mizhar page
From Al Warqa
- Nadd Al Hamar2 schools3.0 km
- Mirdif3 schools3.4 km
- Al Rashidiya3 schools4.8 km
- Dubai Festival City2 schools5.3 km
- Al Mizhar8 schools5.7 km
and 7 more within 10 km, on the Al Warqa page
Four of them matter most to a family comparing addresses. Muhaisnah has 13 schools and is 4.2 km from Al Mizhar (Schools in Muhaisnah); Al Rashidiya and Nadd Al Hamar are the small areas between here and the airport; Al Khawaneej, with 4 schools, is where a family might expect Al Mawakeb School Al Khawaneej to be.
Al Twar, Al Qusais and Al Nahda have their own guide, Choosing a school in Al Qusais, Al Nahda and Al Twar, and Nad Al Sheba is in Schools near Meydan and Nad Al Sheba.
For an address you already have in mind, Schools near where you will live shows the nearest schools from an area or a landmark; Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa are all in its list.
Term dates and applying
Two school years run side by side here. Nineteen of the 22 schools follow KHDA's August calendar for 2026–27: 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027, 185 school days. The 3 Indian CBSE schools follow the April year: 6 April 2026 to March 2027, 182 days, with last days on 19 March at Our Own High School and GEMS Our Own English High School and 22 March at Primus Private School.
A family arriving in summer therefore joins a CBSE school part-way through its year, and a child moving between an April-start and an August-start school can land in a different year group: check Which year group is my child in? with both dates.
The first break on the schools' KHDA calendars: 14 of the August-start schools pause from 12 to 16 October 2026 (American Academy for Girls lists it as the Ministry of Education schools' first mid-term break). Dubai Modern Education School and Ignite School pause from 12 to 14 October; Sharjah American International Private School – Dubai and GEMS Al Khaleej International School from 14 to 16 October; Chinese School Dubai's calendar lists no first mid-term break. The April-start schools show no October break.
Each school's own calendar is on its page; every school's dates are in Dubai school calendar 2026–27, and the city-wide picture is at Calendar.
Each school places a child by age and, from Grade 1 / Year 2, by the transfer certificate from the last school. Most schools then run their own assessment and keep a waiting list; the steps are in Applying to a Dubai school. Each school's page here gives its fee schedule and inspection reports.
Questions families ask
Which schools are actually in Mirdif?
Three stand in Mirdif and are on this site's Mirdif page: Chinese School Dubai, Star International School – Mirdif and Uptown International School. GEMS Royal Dubai School is Mirdif on KHDA's register but stands in Al Mizhar, and Mirdif American School stands in Al Mizhar too; both are on the Al Mizhar page.
Are there American curriculum schools in Mirdif?
Not on the Mirdif page: its three schools are British, Chinese and IB. Within 4 km there are 10, five in Al Mizhar and five in Al Warqa, each with its KHDA rating and year on American curriculum schools in Al Mizhar and American curriculum schools in Al Warqa. Mirdif American School is one of the Al Mizhar five.
Which CBSE schools are in Al Warqa?
Three: Our Own High School and Primus Private School in Al Warqa 1 and GEMS Our Own English High School in Al Warqa 3, listed together at Indian CBSE schools in Al Warqa, where tuition for Grade 1 in 2026–27 runs from AED 9,447 to AED 14,466. All three run the April-to-March school year.
Is there a full list of Al Warqa schools?
Yes: the Al Warqa page lists all 11 with map, KHDA rating and 2026–27 fee range, split into Al Warqa 1, 3 and 4. The table above gives the same 11 beside the Mirdif and Al Mizhar schools, with one year group's fee for each.
What do schools in Mirdif, Al Mizhar and Al Warqa cost?
For the first year of primary in 2026–27, between AED 7,110 and AED 52,455 a year at the 20 schools that take children at that stage, as listed on the schools' KHDA Fees Fact Sheets after any discount the sheet lists. Of the 20, 6 list this fee under AED 15,000. The table gives each school; other year groups are at Fees by year group.
Which schools run buses to Mirdif?
On their own websites, seven schools here name Mirdif among their service areas: Dubai Modern Education School, Arab Unity School, Newlands School, Our Own High School, GEMS Our Own English High School, Primus Private School and International Academic School; seventeen schools elsewhere in Dubai do too. The Buses section gives each school's words; the 4 schools whose websites did not describe their buses may still run them, so ask admissions.
Is Sharjah American International Private School in Sharjah?
The school listed on this site is in Dubai: Sharjah American International Private School – Dubai stands in Al Warqa 1 and is filed by KHDA under Al Warqa First, with a Dubai KHDA rating and Fees Fact Sheet. Its page is linked in the table.
Sources
- KHDA Education Directory (opens in a new tab)Each school's curriculum and year groups, as the three area pages and the fee pages read them; checked 24 September 2026. KHDA area names as in KHDA's open data (November 2025).
- KHDA inspection reports (DSIB) (opens in a new tab)The overall rating and the school year of each school's latest inspection; the report is linked on each school's page.
- KHDA Fees Fact Sheets 2026–27 (opens in a new tab)Tuition by year group and the discount each sheet lists; the figure in the table is the amount after that discount, with the approved figure beside it where the two differ.
- KHDA school calendars 2026–27 (opens in a new tab)School Calendar pages for each of the 22 schools, read 18 September 2026: first and last day, school days, first mid-term break.
- CBSE SARAS register (opens in a new tab)Checked 17 September 2026: the three schools' CBSE affiliation.
- School websites, transport pagesRead 11 October 2026 (one site that did not open that day: 22 September 2026, as its card shows): the 18 schools here that describe their buses, and the 17 schools elsewhere whose published routes name Mirdif, Al Mizhar or Al Warqa; the page address is on each card.
- Market statistics on this siteAreas, for the Year 5 (Grade 4) median fee by KHDA area, 2024–25; Other costs, for transport prices across Dubai; Curricula.
- About the dataHow areas, ratings and fees are read and refreshed.
Every sentence in quotation marks on this page was checked word for word against its document when it was read: the date on each card for the schools' pages, 18 September 2026 for the KHDA calendars. Lines marked «our translation» summarise French or Russian pages and carry no quotation marks.
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