American School of Dubai
Good Al Manara, Dubai · American
- KHDA rating
- Good
Good standards in most areas. The most common rating among Dubai schools. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 44,000 to 84,000 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- American
- Established
- Founded 1966
- School transport
- No bus service listed
- Location
- Al Manara, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Manara — 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 about 68 per cent above the median for American schools in this guide (AED 38,000). It is one of 62 schools in this guide currently rated Good.
Worth comparing: New Academy School (AED 32,000 to 60,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area.
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 register’s clearest example of a rating hiding a school: of 87 individual ratings in the 2023–24 report, 53 were Outstanding and 10 Very Good — yet the overall judgement is Good.
- Attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science Outstanding at every phase, KG through Grade 12, with teaching Outstanding across all phases.
- Care and support Outstanding in every phase, health, safety and safeguarding Outstanding throughout, and 13 guidance counsellors — an exceptional number that signals real institutional commitment.
- A highly inclusive ethos firmly embedded, with sustained investment in learning needs and a well-qualified head of inclusion leading a highly capable team supporting over 160 students with additional needs.
- Not-for-profit, with very strong parent partnerships and wellbeing rated Very Good.
What they asked the school to improve:
- The reason for the Good rating is specific and long-standing: non-compliance in the delivery of Arabic and Islamic Studies, where ratings sit at Weak and Acceptable — sustained across cycles despite regulatory pressure.
- Governance was rated Weak and leadership effectiveness Acceptable — the other half of the ceiling, and the part a prospective parent should ask about directly.
- Limited progress was made on recommendations from the previous inspection.
- If Arabic and Islamic Studies matter to your family, this profile matters more than the headline; if they do not, read the 53 Outstanding ratings underneath it.
Inclusion (students of determination): The principal and governing board ensure a highly inclusive ethos that is firmly embedded and demonstrated across the school, with high levels of sustained investment in students’ learning needs and a well-qualified head of inclusion leading a highly capable team; over 160 students were identified with additional learning needs at the last inspection. 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?
Saved only on this device — never uploaded, never shared.
Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Al Manara
- New Academy School — Good, AED 32,000 to 60,000 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.