Dar Al Marefa Private School
Good Mirdif, Dubai · International / other
- KHDA rating
- Good
Good standards in most areas. The most common rating among Dubai schools. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 18,000 to 35,000 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- International / other
- Established
- Founded 2003
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Mirdif, Dubai
District-level pin for Mirdif — use the Google Maps link for the exact gate.
Link verified against a live domain, July 2026.
Check travel time from your location
Opens live directions in Google Maps — real traffic from your own address beats any published estimate. School-run traffic peaks roughly 7–8am; test your route at drop-off time.
In context
Its mid-range fee is about 30 per cent above the median for International / other schools in this guide (AED 20,451). It is one of 62 schools in this guide currently rated Good.
Worth comparing: Al Salam Community School (AED 18,000 to 34,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area.
These comparisons are computed from the verified data in this register, not editorial opinion.
What the inspectors said
Paraphrased from the last full DSIB inspection (2023–24 cycle) and its published record — read the complete report on the official KHDA directory.
Strengths the inspectors named:
- Good for an eighth consecutive inspection in 2023–24, held consistently since 2013–14 — reliability rather than volatility.
- Inspectors name the Islamic values at the heart of the school’s culture, improved provision and outcomes in the Diploma Programme, and students’ strong personal development.
- Health and safety Very Good across all four phases, and quality of support Very Good across all four phases — among the most consistent high scores anywhere in the report.
- Genuinely singular: Dubai’s only bilingual Arabic–English IB school, with a student body around 85% Emirati, a full IB continuum from Pre-KG to Grade 12, and Diploma students taking leadership roles seriously enough to raise funds for global causes.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Eight cycles at Good is a settled ceiling — the school has stated ambitions to break into Very Good but has not yet done so.
- The report shows predominantly Good ratings across student achievement — the strengths sit in culture, support and the Diploma rather than in across-the-board attainment.
- A new principal took over for 2024–25, arriving from a school he had lifted to Very Good — so ask what is changing, and on what timetable.
- Fees run from roughly AED 39,900 to AED 81,900 — premium-band pricing against a Good rating, which deserves a direct conversation.
Inclusion (students of determination): Good — students of determination receive good support, and SEND students are described as fully supported in an inclusive setting, with special education services designed around the demands of a bilingual IB curriculum. Two structural notes a family should weigh. This is the only school in Dubai offering the IB in a bilingual Arabic-English format, including the reduced IB Courses Programme, which is itself an alternative route for students who would struggle with the full Diploma. But inspectors also flagged the absence of alternative curriculum pathways alongside teaching inconsistencies in KG, PYP and MYP — so ask specifically what exists between the full Diploma and the Courses option. Leadership changed in July 2024, with a principal who previously raised Raffles International School to Very Good. See the special educational needs guide for the questions to ask on a visit.
Inspector summaries are being added school by school as each report is read — 169 of 169 so far, dated per cycle, never invented. A school without a summary yet is unread, not unjudged.
Visit kit
Questions worth asking on a tour — tuned to this school’s rating and curriculum:
- Who leads inclusion here — and may we meet them before enrolling?
- How much staff turnover did you have last year, and why?
- What are actual class sizes this term — not the maximum?
- How and how often will I hear about my child’s progress?
Saved only on this device — never uploaded, never shared.
Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Mirdif
- GEMS Royal Dubai School — Very Good, AED 40,252 to 61,410 a year
- Uptown International School — Very Good, AED 31,145 to 78,420 a year
- Emirates National Schools Dubai — Acceptable, AED 20,000 to 38,000 a year
- Mirdif American School — Good, AED 25,000 to 50,000 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.