Dubai International Academy
Outstanding Emirates Hills, Dubai · IB
- KHDA rating
- Outstanding
The highest KHDA rating — consistently excellent teaching and outcomes. Expect waiting lists. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 44,979 to 79,696 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- IB
- Established
- Founded 2006
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Emirates Hills, Dubai
District-level pin for Emirates Hills — 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 in line with the median for IB schools in this guide (AED 63,000). It is one of 22 schools in this guide currently rated Outstanding.
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:
- The only full IB-continuum school in Dubai rated Outstanding — reclaimed in 2022–23 and retained in 2023–24.
- Teaching quality, pastoral care and curriculum innovation cited as standout areas.
- Care and support judged Outstanding; the commitment to health and wellbeing described as exemplary, with mutually respectful relationships creating ‘a very special atmosphere’.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Wellbeing judged Very Good against the Outstanding overall profile.
- Engage the parents of all identified students of determination — the school reaches most, not yet all.
- The report’s formal development points: adapt the KG science curriculum better to the age group so children are properly prepared for the Primary Years Programme, increase opportunities for investigation in PYP science through stronger physical and human resources, and strengthen the inclusion improvement plan so that barriers to learning for students of determination are reduced.
- Consistency in planning for inquiry, and alignment of assessment analysis with KHDA guidelines, are named as areas for refinement even within an Outstanding profile.
Inclusion (students of determination): Very Good — while the school’s overall rating is Outstanding, its provision and outcomes for students of determination sit one level below, which is precisely the gap a family whose child needs support should notice. Inspectors found timely and accurate identification, supportive classrooms, personalised learning plans and differentiated instruction covering both students of determination and high achievers, with overall care and support rated Outstanding. Two published development points: strengthen the inclusion improvement plan so that barriers to learning for students of determination are reduced, and engage the parents of all identified students — the school reaches most, not yet all. The senior structure is genuinely useful here: all four IB programmes including the Career-related Programme, so there is a non-Diploma route through Sixth Form. Practical note: admission is competitive with waiting lists requiring persistent follow-up. 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?
- How long is the real waiting list for my child’s year group, and how does sibling priority work?
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Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Emirates Hills
- Dubai British School Emirates Hills — Outstanding, AED 53,027 to 79,541 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.