Abu Dhabi has a huge Indian community, and it shows in the school options: CBSE classrooms in Baniyas, Al Wathba, Mussafah and Mohamed Bin Zayed City, with tuition that starts well under AED 10,000 a year. The catch is that the good ones fill up fast. Registration for the April 2027 intake is already open at most of them.
This guide to Indian schools in Abu Dhabi covers nine schools we could check against their official sites and ADEK paperwork. For each one you get the curriculum, area, latest Irtiqaa rating (where a report is published), 2026-27 fees and contact details. After that come the low-fee options, the Mussafah and Shabiya cluster and the admissions dates you need to know. If you are still deciding where to live, our guide to moving to Abu Dhabi is a good place to start.
Indian and CBSE schools in Abu Dhabi compared
Schools are listed A to Z, not ranked. Fees are annual tuition from the youngest year group to the oldest, taken from each school’s published 2026-27 fee sheet or its ADEK fee approval. “Check TAMM” means the school does not publish its latest Irtiqaa report online. Every school has to show its rating on a School Performance Plaque at the gate, and ADEK’s School Finder on TAMM shows it too.
| School | Area | Curriculum | ADEK rating | Fee (AED a year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Indian School Branch 1 | Al Wathba | CBSE | Check TAMM | AED 8,978 to AED 15,302 |
| Bright Riders School | Mohamed Bin Zayed City | CBSE | Very Good (2024/25) | AED 10,550 to AED 21,890 |
| Dunes International School | Mussafah (Sector 9) | CBSE | Check TAMM | AED 12,320 to AED 24,120 |
| GEMS United Indian School | Baniyas West | CBSE | Check TAMM | AED 10,420 to AED 20,700 |
| International Indian School | Baniyas West | EYFS, then CBSE from Grade 9 | Check TAMM | AED 12,220 to AED 17,223 |
| Mayoor Private School | Al Wathba | CBSE | Very Good (2024/25) | AED 18,240 to AED 26,130 |
| Model Private School | Mohamed Bin Zayed City | CBSE and Kerala board | Good (2024/25) | Not published |
| St Joseph’s School | Al Mushrif | CBSE | Check TAMM | AED 6,650 to AED 11,460 |
| Sunrise English Private School | Shabiya, Mussafah | CBSE | Good (2024/25) | AED 8,100 to AED 12,770 |
How much do Indian schools in Abu Dhabi cost?
Indian schools are the most affordable private option in Abu Dhabi. For 2026-27, annual tuition at the schools in this guide starts at AED 6,650 (Grade 1 at St Joseph’s School) and goes up to about AED 26,000 (senior grades at Mayoor Private School). Most charge between AED 9,000 and AED 22,000. Books, uniform, transport and CBSE board exam fees are extra.
ADEK sets the maximum each school can charge, and its fee rules are clear. Fees are collected in at least three instalments. Any registration fee is taken off tuition and is capped at 5% of the annual fee. Schools may not ask for a deposit or financial guarantee to enrol a child, even a refundable one. Bus fees are a real extra: ADEK-approved transport fees at these schools run from about AED 3,950 to AED 4,520 a year.
The Very Good rated CBSE schools
Two schools in this guide publish a 2024/25 Irtiqaa report rated Very Good, the second-highest band. These are the names that come up most in parent groups, and they have the longest waiting lists to match.
Bright Riders School
With more than 3,900 students from KG to Grade 12, Bright Riders is one of the biggest CBSE schools in the capital. ADEK inspectors rated it Very Good in January 2025. For a Very Good school the fees are reasonable: AED 10,550 for KG1 and KG2, rising to AED 21,890 in Grade 12. Online registration for KG2 to Grade 12 for 2027-28 opens on 1 November 2026, and Grade 1 and 2 entrance tests start from 16 November.
Location: 12 Al Sayfah Street, Mohamed Bin Zayed City | Contact: +971 2 692 2000
Mayoor Private School
Mayoor is the most expensive Indian school in this guide and it has the rating to back that up: Very Good in its November 2024 Irtiqaa inspection. It has around 2,300 students in Al Wathba and teaches CBSE from Pre-KG to Grade 12, with Science, Commerce and Humanities in the senior years. Tuition for 2026-27 runs from AED 18,240 in Pre-KG to AED 26,130 in Grade 9, paid in three instalments across the April to March year. Registration for 2027-28 is open for KG1 to Grade 12.
Location: 95 Al Sahl Street, Al Wathba | Contact: +971 2 510 0800
WOW Expert Tip: Don’t stop at the headline rating. Irtiqaa reports grade English, maths and science separately for each phase, so a school rated Good overall can be Very Good in the senior years. Bright Riders, Mayoor, Model and Sunrise all publish their full 2024/25 report on their websites. Read the phase your child is joining.
Indian schools in Baniyas, Al Wathba and Al Mushrif
The mainland belt off the Abu Dhabi to Al Ain road, from Baniyas to Al Wathba, is popular with Indian families for its larger villas and lower rents. St Joseph’s is the island-side option. If you are commuting onto the island every day, factor in the Darb toll at peak times.
GEMS United Indian School
Part of the GEMS group, United Indian School runs CBSE from Pre-KG to Grade 12. Its fee table is one of the clearest around: AED 10,420 for Pre-KG to KG2, AED 12,430 for Grades 1 and 2, and up to AED 20,700 in Grades 11 and 12. You can pay monthly over ten months, by term or upfront, and nothing is due in July or August. Registration for April 2027 is open. Every child, including KG applicants, has an interview and assessment, and accepting an offer means paying 5% of the annual fee, which is then taken off the first term.
Location: 42nd Street, Baniyas West | Contact: +971 2 205 9777
International Indian School
This one blends curriculums: the UK Early Years Foundation Stage in KG, the school’s own international curriculum through primary and middle school, and CBSE from Grade 9 to 12. It suits families who want an Indian board for the senior years without a strict CBSE start. The published annual fee runs from AED 12,220 in Pre-KG to AED 17,223 in Grades 11 and 12, and it already includes books and uniform. There is 5% off tuition if you pay the full year upfront, and sibling discounts of 5% for the second child and 10% from the third.
Location: Baniyas West | Contact: +971 2 585 4499
Abu Dhabi Indian School Branch 1, Al Wathba
The Al Wathba branch of the long-running Abu Dhabi Indian School is CBSE-affiliated and one of the best-value schools in this guide. For new students in 2026-27, tuition starts at AED 8,978 in Grades 1 and 2 (KG is AED 9,360) and tops out at AED 15,302 in Grade 12. That is well below the AED 20,000 ceiling ADEK allows. Admission involves a draw of lots, an entrance test and a session with senior leadership, which both parents must attend.
Location: Al Wathba | Contact: +971 2 583 1991
St Joseph’s School
St Joseph’s is a CBSE school on 17th Street in Al Mushrif and the cheapest school in this guide. Its ADEK-approved tuition for 2026-27 runs from AED 6,650 in Grade 1 to AED 11,460 in Grade 12 Science, and Commerce is a little cheaper. Fees are paid over three terms: April to August, September to December and January to March. Its fee sheet starts at Grade 1, so check KG places directly with the school.
Location: 17th Street, Al Mushrif | Contact: +971 2 446 3646
Indian schools in Mussafah, Shabiya and MBZ City
Mussafah, its Shabiya residential blocks and neighbouring Mohamed Bin Zayed City have the biggest cluster of Indian schools in the emirate, and that is no accident. This is where many Indian families rent, and the school run can be a five-minute drive rather than a motorway commute. Bright Riders (above) is here too. These are the other three we verified.
Sunrise English Private School
Sunrise has been teaching Indian families since 1988 and holds a Good rating from its October 2024 Irtiqaa inspection. It is excellent value for a Good school. ADEK-approved tuition for 2026-27 is AED 8,660 for KG and between AED 8,100 and AED 9,190 from Grade 1 to Grade 10, rising to AED 12,770 in Grades 11 and 12. Its 2027-28 timetable is already out: external registration runs from 6 to 20 November 2026 on the school website, with the KG1 lottery on 24 November.
Location: ME-09, Shabiya, near Safeer Mall, Mussafah | Contact: +971 2 552 9989
Dunes International School
Dunes is a CBSE school in Sector 9 that takes children from preschool age (three to four) up to Grade 12. It sits at the higher end for Mussafah. ADEK-approved tuition for 2026-27 runs from AED 12,320 for preschool and KG1 to AED 24,120 in Grades 11 and 12. Children need to be four by 31 March to join KG1, and online registration is on the school website.
Location: Plot 19, Sector 9, Mussafah | Contact: +971 2 552 7527
Model Private School
Founded in 1987, Model Private School is the place to look if you want the Kerala state board. It joined the Kerala Board in 1989, added CBSE in 2010 and still runs both. ADEK lists its curriculum as CBSE and Kerala. Its January 2025 Irtiqaa inspection moved it up from Acceptable to Good. Registration for 2027-28 is open from KG to Grade 8 (not Grades 9 to 12). KG places go by lottery, and Grade 1 upwards is by assessment. The school does not publish its tuition online, so ask admissions for the 2026-27 fee sheet.
Location: 3 Al Matamah Street, Mohamed Bin Zayed City | Contact: +971 2 552 7200
Low-fee Indian schools in Abu Dhabi
If budget is the deciding factor, these five start under AED 11,000 a year for the entry grade on 2026-27 fees:
- St Joseph’s School, Al Mushrif: AED 6,650 to AED 11,460
- Sunrise English Private School, Shabiya: AED 8,100 to AED 12,770 (rated Good)
- Abu Dhabi Indian School Branch 1, Al Wathba: AED 8,978 to AED 15,302 for new students
- GEMS United Indian School, Baniyas West: AED 10,420 to AED 20,700
- Bright Riders School, MBZ City: AED 10,550 to AED 21,890 (rated Very Good)
Bright Riders stands out on value: a Very Good rating for roughly half what Mayoor charges. The trade-off is size and demand, so register early. Low fees also bring big classes and strict admissions, so expect lotteries for KG and entrance tests from Grade 1.
WOW Expert Tip: Compare total cost, not just tuition. At Sunrise, for example, the ADEK-approved bus fee (AED 4,520) is more than half of Grade 1 tuition. A school ten minutes further away with no bus can work out cheaper overall than the “cheap” school across town.
CBSE, ICSE or Kerala board?
Almost every Indian school in the capital follows CBSE, which keeps things simple if you are moving from India or between Gulf countries. Board exams are in Grade 10 and Grade 12, and schools collect CBSE registration and exam fees on top of tuition. At Mayoor, for example, that is AED 750 in Grade 10 and AED 850 in Grade 12.
Kerala board families should look at Model Private School, the only school in this guide running both CBSE and the Kerala state board. None of the schools we verified offers ICSE. If your child is on ICSE now, ask each school how it handles the move to CBSE, especially from Grade 8 upwards. Schools are strictest about board changes in Grades 9 to 12. Bright Riders, for instance, only takes CBSE students into Grade 12.
Admissions: when to apply and age cut-offs
Indian schools in Abu Dhabi follow an April to March year, not the September start used by British and American schools. On ADEK’s 2026-27 calendar for Indian schools, the year started on 30 March 2026, summer break runs from 6 July to 28 August and the year ends in early April 2027. Registration for the April intake happens the autumn before, so for April 2027 the window is now.
- Bright Riders: online registration for KG2 to Grade 12 opens 1 November 2026
- Sunrise: external registration from 6 to 20 November 2026, KG1 lottery 24 November
- GEMS United Indian School, Mayoor, International Indian School and Model: registration for 2027-28 already open
April-start schools use a 31 March age cut-off, not the 31 December date that now applies to schools starting in August or September. Mayoor, Bright Riders, Dunes and Model all publish the same rule:
| Year group | Age by 31 March |
|---|---|
| KG1 | 4 years |
| KG2 | 5 years |
| Grade 1 | 6 years |
For April 2027 entry to KG1, that means a child born between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023. Have the essentials scanned and ready, because most schools take online applications only: the child’s passport with residence visa, Emirates ID and both parents’ passports. From Grade 2 upwards you will also need an attested Transfer Certificate.
WOW Expert Tip: Register at two or three schools at once. KG seats at popular Indian schools are often allocated by lottery, and siblings usually get first call. A single application is a gamble, and the windows close within weeks.
Once a place is confirmed, the practical stuff starts: the new school bus and road safety rules and backpack weight limits are both worth reading. For weekends, our list of family activities in Abu Dhabi is sorted by age. And when you need a taste of home, we have the best Indian restaurants in Abu Dhabi and every Navratri garba night in the city.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the best CBSE schools in Abu Dhabi?
Bright Riders School in Mohamed Bin Zayed City and Mayoor Private School in Al Wathba both hold a Very Good rating in their published 2024/25 Irtiqaa reports. Sunrise English Private School and Model Private School are rated Good. For every other school, check the rating on the school’s plaque or ADEK’s School Finder on TAMM before you apply.
How much are Indian school fees in Abu Dhabi?
For 2026-27, annual tuition at the schools in this guide ranges from AED 6,650 at St Joseph’s School to about AED 26,000 at Mayoor Private School. Most charge between AED 9,000 and AED 22,000. Transport, books, uniform and CBSE exam fees are charged on top.
When do admissions open for Indian schools in Abu Dhabi?
Indian schools start their year in April, so registration runs in October and November the year before. For April 2027, Bright Riders opens on 1 November 2026, Sunrise takes external registrations from 6 to 20 November, and GEMS United Indian School, Mayoor, International Indian School and Model are already open.
What is the age cut-off for KG1 at Indian schools in Abu Dhabi?
Your child must be four years old by 31 March of the year they join. For April 2027 entry, that means a birthday between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023. KG2 needs five years and Grade 1 six years by the same date.
Is there a Kerala syllabus school in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Model Private School in Mohamed Bin Zayed City runs the Kerala state board alongside CBSE, and ADEK lists its curriculum as CBSE and Kerala. It has been teaching the Kerala board since 1989.
Which Indian schools are in Mussafah and Shabiya?
Sunrise English Private School (ME-09, Shabiya) and Dunes International School (Sector 9) are in Mussafah. Bright Riders School and Model Private School are next door in Mohamed Bin Zayed City. Together they cover fees from about AED 8,000 to AED 24,000 a year.
Can Indian schools in Abu Dhabi ask for a deposit?
No. ADEK bans schools from taking a deposit or financial guarantee to enrol a child, even a refundable one. A registration fee is allowed, but it is capped at 5% of annual tuition and is taken off the fees once your child starts.
Fees, ratings and admission dates checked in October 2026 and can change. Confirm with the school before you register.
