Dubai school trips abroad can cost families Dh15,000 as tuition stays frozen

Overseas trips run by Dubai's private schools can cost a family more than Dh15,000 (about US$4,100) for a single pupil, and some parents say the price and the pressure to sign up are too high.

Trips inside the UAE cost far less. A three-day, two-night stay in Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah or Al Ain usually runs to Dh2,000 to Dh2,500 a pupil, Khaleej Times reported on 23 October 2026.

The bills sit on top of tuition. KHDA, Dubai's private schools regulator, ruled in May that no private school could raise its fees for the 2026-27 year, so trips and other extras are where a family's spending can still climb.

Parents divided on value

Natalia Miranda, an American parent in Dubai, said she was "not in favour of these trips". She said skiing in Switzerland or community projects in Sri Lanka could be out of reach for some families, especially those with two or three children.

Arijit Nandi, whose son is 10, said parents "feel compelled to give in" when classmates are going.

"But I don't see what concrete learning comes out of a two-night stay in Ras Al Khaimah or Al Ain," he said.

Elena Popescu paid Dh15,000 for her daughter's school trip to Japan and said it was money well spent. "She came back more independent, confident and curious," she said.

Trips on offer

The schools say they offer trips at several prices. Among those on offer this year:

• Repton School Dubai: a four-day culture and nature trip to Oman, plus football in Madrid, skiing in Austria, STEM in Singapore, and art and architecture in Rome and Florence.
• Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai: residential stays in the UAE, ski trips to Switzerland and Austria, and trips to Bali, Italy, France and Greece.
• Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai: residential stays in Kalba, Sir Bani Yas Island, Oman and Longbeach.

"We see residential trips as much more than simply an opportunity to travel," said Adam Drake, assistant head for Key Stage 4 at Repton Dubai.

Alysha Clements, assistant head of secondary at the Swiss school, said the main gain was "seeing how much students grow in just a few days".

Schools judge that growth through staff observation, pupils' own reflections and feedback. At Gems Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis, more than 200 pupils signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award this year.

Trips and tuition fees

Repton's all-in fee for its oldest year group is Dh102,753 for 2026-27, unchanged from last year. One Dh15,000 trip would add about 15 per cent to that.

Across the 16 schools Prospectus lists in Dubai, yearly fees run from about US$12,200 to US$33,600.