Dubai: The Indian education entrepreneur and founder of the world’s largest operator of private schools, GEMS Education, Sunny Varkey, is planning to invest an astounding amount of $100 million to open Dubai’s most expensive school with annual fees of INR 35 lakhs. The campus of GEMS School of Research and Innovation in Dubai Sports City will spread over an expansive area of 47,600 meters and will be one of the most expensive schools in the world and the Gulf region.
Setting a New Benchmark in Education: Annual Fees Up to INR 35 Lakhs
Dubai’s most expensive school by GEMS Education Group will set a new benchmark in the education sector of the Emirates and beyond and is scheduled to start in August 2025 for nursery to grade 6 students. The initial annual school tuition fee for nursery students will be INR 27 lakhs, which will rise to INR 35 lakhs.
It is anticipated that shortly when the school expands and starts offering classes for grade 7-12 students, the annual fees might rise to INR 48 lakhs annually. With this assumption, this school by the world’s largest operator of private schools will become the city of skyscrapers’s most expensive school and will rise as a competitor for prestigious schools like USA’s Andover in Massachusetts, where annual tuition fees range between INR 48-49 lakhs.
Key Features of GEMS Education School in Dubai Sports City
Sunny Varkey, the leader of the world’s leading private education company, is all set to open a new school, reinforcing its brand’s legacy in the Gulf region. This school will spread over an expansive area of 47,600 sq. m. and will feature top-tier facilities, like an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a football pitch that can be used as a helipad, a 600-seat auditorium, specialist robotics, and advanced scientific labs. It will offer an English curriculum and will focus on logistics, operations, and enterprises. Hand-picked specialist teachers will offer teaching and learning to students, which will be enhanced by using AI technologies.
Virki’s Family Legacy in Dubai’s Education
Expanding Virki’s family legacy, Sunny Varkey expanded the Our Own English High School founded by his parents in 1968 in the glittering city of skyscrapers. Mariama and KS Varkey, both were educators who moved from Kerala to Dubai and established the foundation of today’s largest private education company, GEMS Education Group. After them, their son continued their legacy and founded the world’s largest private school group.
Currently, his elder son, Dino Varkey, and younger son, Jay Varkey, are working as CEO and executive director of the group. Justifying the high annual fees of the school going to be opened by the group, the CEO Dino Varkey said that compared to the fee structure of other prestigious schools that have set benchmarks in the world’s education industry, their fees are still competitive. He further said that the Emirates and Dubai have reached a point where their education market is set to reach new benchmarks.
Dubai’s Growing Population Impact on Rising Education Demand
Since 2020, the influx of foreign expatriates, especially from India, Russia, and other Western countries, has shown an immense rise. Becoming a hub for crypto traders, bankers, business owners, and professionals, the city of skyscrapers has developed an education market, where consumers are willing to pay highly for premium education. GEMS Education’s school in Dubai Sports City aims to prepare students for the future by equipping them with the skills needed to excel in a rapidly evolving world.
Renowned for its luxurious lifestyle and quality education high fees, this innovation and research school will reinforce the emirate’s position as a leader among the world’s premium education providers. Apart from its premier facilities, the school will act as an innovation and sustainability hub that will focus on cutting-edge research and sustainable practices, attracting an affluent globally-minded population and strengthening the country’s economic stability.
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