Dubai English Speaking School - Academic CityTuition Fees & Cost Breakdown 2026
Tuition Fees
Payment Terms
Sibling discounts are calculated for the whole year and applied in the Term 2 tuition fee invoice; Term 1 and Term 3 invoices are as published. Bank transfer payments should reference the child's full name or parent account code. Email remittances@dess.sch.ae with proof of transfer.
Additional Costs
Acceptance Fee (New Students FS1–Year 6)
Non-refundable but deducted from first term tuition invoice
Non-refundable but deducted from first term tuition invoice
External Examination Fees (e.g. music, dance)
Invoiced separately; amount not specified in source
Invoiced separately; amount not specified in source
Discounts & Offers
Value for Money
Dubai English Speaking School – Academic City (DESS Academic City) offers a British curriculum education for children aged 3 to 11, covering Foundation Stage 1 through Year 6. For the 2025–26 and 2026–27 academic years, the school is offering a 15% discount on its published fees, bringing Foundation Stage 1 fees to AED 55,250 and Foundation Stage 2 through Year 6 fees to AED 63,750 per year. From September 2027, fees will revert to their full rates of AED 65,000 (FS1) and AED 75,000 (FS2–Year 6).
Fees are payable in three termly instalments, with Term 1 representing approximately 40% of the annual fee and Terms 2 and 3 each representing approximately 30%. Payments are accepted via credit card through the SKIPLY mobile app or by bank transfer. DESS Academic City is part of the wider DESS group, which also operates DESS Oud Metha and DESS College, and families with children across multiple campuses may benefit from sibling discounts on tuition fees.
It is important to note that the published fee schedule does not include charges for external examinations (such as music or dance), which are invoiced separately. An Acceptance Fee of AED 4,000 is payable upon accepting a place; this fee is non-refundable but is deducted from the first term's tuition invoice. Families considering DESS Academic City should factor in these additional costs when budgeting for the full cost of education.