Harrow Abu Dhabi will open in August 2027, with boarding in a later phase

Harrow International School Abu Dhabi will take its first pupils in August 2027, its founding headmaster, Adrian Frost, has confirmed.

The school on Saadiyat Island had been expected to open earlier. Infrastructure work and approvals on the island held it back, Mr Frost told The National.

"It was nothing from the school's side, they were ready to go," he said.

The first intake will run from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 6. Fees will start at Dh80,000 (about US$21,800) for FS1 and rise to Dh106,000 (about US$28,900) for Year 6.

Boarding comes later

Boarding is planned for a later phase, at least two years away. When it opens, Harrow Abu Dhabi would be the first boarding school in the UAE capital.

No date or price has been set for boarding places. Mr Frost said boarding would cost more, but the school did not want to price itself out of the market.

"There are parents who want boarding. I hope that they will look to us as an alternative option," he said.

The school is aiming at families in the UAE and the wider Gulf who might otherwise send their children to boarding schools overseas.

The campus

• A site of about 70,000 square metres, roughly 30 per cent larger than Harrow's Dubai campus
• Planned capacity of 1,800 pupils
• Building work has reached the third and final floor
• Half the building will not be needed for at least a year after opening

The school day will be long. It starts with activities and breakfast, and ends with tea and supervised homework, which the school calls prep. Packed lunches will not be allowed; pupils will eat in several dining halls.

Mr Frost was previously vice-principal of Brighton College Abu Dhabi. He has also helped set up a boarding school in Portugal.

The Dubai sister school

Taaleem operates both of Harrow's UAE schools. The Dubai school opened in Jumeirah Village Circle in August 2026 with about 400 pupils up to Year 6, and has room for up to 2,000.

Its fees for 2026-27 run from Dh80,000 to Dh106,000 for the primary years, rising to Dh128,000 (about US$34,900) for Year 13 once all year groups open.

Its top fee is above those of the British schools Prospectus profiles in Dubai. Brighton College Dubai charges about US$18,300 to US$30,200 a year and Dubai College about US$26,500 to US$30,000.