Cities / Dubai / Sharjah American International School Dubai (SAIS)
Sharjah American International School Dubai (SAIS)
Operating as part of a group of four schools under the same ownership, SAIS Dubai follows American curriculum standards from pre kindergarten through Grade 12. The school positions itself in Al Warqaa area, serving families seeking American education pathways.
In brief
Sharjah American International School sits in Al Warqa 1, on the Dubai side of the Sharjah border, one of four schools under the same ownership. Mohammed Sultan Ibrahim has led it since 2017, and the settled leadership shows in the inspection arc: four consecutive KHDA Good ratings after a decade at Acceptable. Around 2,000 pupils follow an American curriculum with AP, roughly a third of them Emirati, and Islamic values are integrated into daily school life.
Parents describe teachers who know children individually, and the community feel is much of why families stay despite the size. Fees from AED 29,500 in kindergarten to 39,300 by Grade 10 sit at the lower end of Dubai's American-curriculum market.
The soft spots are specific. Middle-school English attainment is rated only Acceptable against Good elsewhere. One guidance counsellor serves the whole roll, university destinations are not published, unusual for an AP school of this size, and administrative friction recurs in parent accounts often enough to count as a pattern. Teacher turnover sits around 19 per cent.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| KG1 | 3 | AED 29,500 |
| KG2 | 4 | AED 29,500 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | AED 32,500 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | AED 32,500 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | AED 32,500 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | AED 32,500 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | AED 32,500 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | AED 35,700 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | AED 35,700 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | AED 35,700 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | AED 39,300 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | AED 39,300 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee | AED 500 |
Reviews
An American + AP school in Al Warqa 1, on the Dubai side of the Sharjah border, run since 2017 by Mohammed Sultan Ibrahim. Around 2,000 pupils with roughly a third Emirati, fees in the AED 18,000 to 45,000 range, and a KHDA Good rating held for four consecutive cycles after a decade at Acceptable. Pastoral warmth, value, and Islamic-values integration come through consistently. Middle-school English attainment and organisational polish are the recurring soft spots.
Positives
- Pastoral feel and community. Parents describe teachers who know children individually. The community-school register is part of why families stay despite the size.
- Value for fees. AED 18k to 45k puts SAIS at the lower end of the Dubai American-curriculum market. The mid-range price with a sustained Good rating is part of the draw.
- Islamic values and Emirati cohort. Around a third of pupils are Emirati and the school integrates Islamic values into daily life. KHDA inspectors single this out as a strength.
- Stable leadership and KHDA trajectory. Mohammed Sultan Ibrahim has led the school since 2017. Four straight Good ratings, up from a long stretch of Acceptable, point to a settled improvement arc.
Considerations
- Middle-school English. Attainment and progress in middle-school English have been flagged as only Acceptable in recent KHDA reporting, against Good elsewhere.
- Teaching consistency. Quality varies classroom to classroom. Some parents describe dedicated, attentive teachers; others describe weaker classes where children rely on outside content to keep up.
- Counselling and university guidance. One guidance counsellor for over 2,000 pupils. University destination data is not publicly disclosed, which is unusual for an AP school at this size.
- Organisation and administration. Administrative friction comes up in parent feedback often enough to count as a pattern, with a small number of families citing it as the reason they moved their child.
- Teacher turnover. Reported turnover sits around 19%, in the normal band for mid-fee Dubai schools but worth bearing against the talk of inconsistent teaching.
Leadership
Saleh Jadayel
Mohammed Sultan is an experienced education leader with expertise in American curriculum schools, strategic planning, school transformation, and educational assessment. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics (Math minor) from Al Yarmouk University - Jordan and a Master of Education in Education Leadership.
Accreditations
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 01
- Cognia 02