Abu Dhabi International School - MBZ vs Al Nahda National Schools

	A Abu Dhabi International School - MBZ Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	A Al Nahda National Schools Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year AED 26,275 - 51,850	Fees / year AED 17,730 - 33,020
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 4 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Boys School, Girls School
Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels, IB (DP)	Curriculum British Curriculum, American Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 3,500	Pupils 5,800
Typical class size	Typical class size 22	Typical class size 20
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1992	Opened 1983
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location —	Location Al Nahda National Schools are located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The schools operate two campuses: the Girls' School and the Boys' School. The mailing address is P.O. Box 815, Abu Dhabi. The schools are licensed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Knowledge and Education (ADEK) and the UAE Ministry of Education.
Stages	Stages —	Stages Two campuses serve different year groups. Girls in Kindergarten to Grade 3 attend the Girls' School; girls in Grades 4-12 also attend the Girls' School. Boys in Grades 4-12 attend the Boys' School.
School type	School type —	School type ANNS is a private, fee-paying day school with two single-sex campuses (the Girls' School and the Boys' School). There are no boarding facilities listed.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support The school provides support for students with learning difficulties. It also offers programs for gifted and talented students.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation —	Country affiliation There is no formal country affiliation listed. The school operates in the UAE and offers American and British curricula.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation No formal religious affiliation is listed.
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure The administration offices operate Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 to 15:00 and Friday from 8:00 to 12:00. The site does not publish fixed start and end times for the school day.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details ANNS offers a school transportation service. Sign up for transport is completed through the re-registration process. If pickup details change, guardians must update them; only listed guardians may collect a child. A bus supervisor oversees pickups and drop-offs.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details —	Fee details Application and registration fees - A non‑refundable registration/seat‑reservation fee is charged on offer acceptance; the school applies a registration/re‑registration charge equal to 5% of the annual tuition fee (adjustable and then deducted against the tuition invoice). Tuition fees by year group (annual amounts in AED) - Kindergarten 2 (age 4): AED 17,730 (this total comprises Tuition AED 15,650 plus Books AED 2,080). - Kindergarten 3 (age 5): AED 17,730. - Grade 1 (age 6): AED 21,910. - Grade 2 (age 7): AED 21,910. - Grade 3 (age 8): AED 22,000. - Grade 4 (age 9): AED 23,030. - Grade 5 (age 10): AED 23,030. - Grade 6 (age 11): AED 23,030. - Grade 7 (age 12): AED 25,180. - Grade 8 (age 13): AED 25,180. - Grade 9 (age 14): AED 30,060. - Grade 10 (age 15): AED 33,020. - Grade 11 (age 16): AED 33,020. - Grade 12 (age 17): AED 33,020. Per‑term breakdown (three instalments) - The school issues tuition invoices in three termly instalments. The per‑term amounts below are shown as equal, termly instalments (annual fee divided by three) for reference. See the annual amounts above for full‑year totals. - Kindergarten 2 / Kindergarten 3: AED 5,910 per term. - Grade 1 / Grade 2: AED 7,303 per term. - Grade 3: AED 7,333 per term. - Grade 4 / Grade 5 / Grade 6: AED 7,677 per term. - Grade 7 / Grade 8: AED 8,393 per term. - Grade 9: AED 10,020 per term. - Grade 10 / Grade 11 / Grade 12: AED 11,007 per term. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is billed on a term basis and payments are expected according to the school's term calendar (three instalments across the academic year). Term invoices are issued at the start of each term and parents must settle the invoices or provide the required post‑dated cheques / payment arrangements by the stated due dates. - The registration/re‑registration charge (5% of annual tuition) is payable on offer acceptance and is adjusted against the tuition invoice for the year. - Outstanding fees from a previous year must be settled before re‑registration will be accepted. Boarding fees - Al Nahda National Schools operate as day schools. There is no boarding or hostel provision; all students are day pupils. Other costs and typical additional charges - School transport: typical annual charge AED 4,500 (transport availability and final route fees are confirmed at registration). - Books and learning resources: typical range AED 910 to AED 2,080 per year depending on grade; for early years the prospectus itemises a separate books charge (see K2 breakdown above). Digital learning resources are included within tuition and are processed as part of re‑registration. - Uniform: a typical uniform charge is shown around AED 250 (varies by campus/grade and by required items). - Examination / external assessment fees and optional activity charges: these are charged separately where applicable (year‑group and subject dependent). Refund information - The registration/re‑registration charge is treated as non‑refundable and is adjusted against tuition when the place is accepted. Security deposits (where required by other institutions) are normally refundable on leaving after due adjustments; standard ADEK‑aligned refund practices apply to deposits and fee refunds. Fee payment options - Accepted payment methods include bank transfer, cheque and cash; the school also provides online payment capability for registration and invoices via the parent portal. Payment by card or instalment facilities may be available through the school's payment channels or approved third‑party providers — confirm with the school finance office when arranging payment. Notes - Fees differ by campus and by curriculum offered (American vs British routes); annual fee levels above are those published for the current academic year and are shown by year group.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details —	Curriculum details Al Nahda National Schools (ANNS) offer two international curricula on its Abu Dhabi campuses: the British Program aligned with the Cambridge International Curriculum and the American Program aligned with US standards. The curriculum encompasses Languages, Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities, Information Technology, Islamic Studies, Physical Education, Music, Drama and Art, with English as the language of instruction. The Girls School site states kindergarten through grade 12, with the Primary division KG–Grade 6 and the Secondary division Grades 7–12, and notes that boys transfer to the Boys' campus after Grade 3. In the British Program, Cambridge IGCSE examinations are taken in Grades 9–10 with Arabic and Islamic Studies mandatory; students may choose from English (First/Second Language), English Literature, IT, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Accounting, Business Studies, French, Urdu and Art & Design. Under the American Program, the curriculum aligns with the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics, uses New Generation Standards for Science, and follows MOE standards for Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies, with Advanced Placement (AP) examinations available and Pearson Edexcel IAL offered for senior levels. ANNS uses English as the primary medium of instruction.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions —	Admissions 1. Online registration and submission of the application and all required supporting documents. You will be given a reference number for your application. 2. Attend the oral interview after the application is accepted. 3. From the first to the twelfth grades, there is a computer-based entrance exam. 4. Register in the ADEK system. 5. Attend the interview and exam. 6. Pay the registration fees. The registration page notes that new registrations for the 2025-2026 academic year begin in January and continue throughout the year. 360-degree school tours are available for the Girls' Primary Campus, Girls' Secondary Campus, and Boys' Campus (A & B) as well as Campus Block C. For inquiries, contact the Registration Department via the provided channels.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist If there are no available seats in the required class, the registration request is placed on a waiting list with a maximum capacity. Priority is given to students with siblings already in the school or whose parents are employees. Guardians receive text and email updates, and status can be viewed through the parent portal.
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