Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud

Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud is a well-established private international school in Dubai, managed by Academia Management Solutions International (AMSI). It was inaugurated in 1979 as the first campus in what has since become a network of Al Mawakeb schools, with additional branches in Al Barsha in 1998 and the latest one in Al Mizhar 1 in 2018.

The school delivers a comprehensive, university-preparatory American curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 12. English is the primary language of instruction, and a strong multilingual programme is integrated throughout the school, with structured learning in English, Arabic, and French from the early years onwards.

While Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud follows the American curriculum, it places strong emphasis on preserving students’ connection to UAE culture and national identity. The school delivers Ministry of Education–mandated subjects, including Arabic, Islamic Education, Social Studies, and Moral Education, alongside its international academic programme. Academic teaching across core and non-core subjects is aligned with California State Standards, ensuring consistency and international benchmarking.

Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud serves a large and diverse student body of over 2,500 students, representing more than 60 nationalities, with a significant proportion of students from Arab backgrounds. The school is committed to inclusion and supports students of determination within its community. Teaching and learning are supported by a team of approximately 160 educators, maintaining an average teacher-to-student ratio of around 1:18. The school has consistently achieved a ‘Good’ rating from KHDA in recent inspection cycles, reflecting stable educational performance and sustained quality standards. Nevertheless, the school’s reputation has helped it make it to the list of top 10 American schools in Dubai.

You can also read our detailed school guides on Al Mawakeb School, Al Barsha and Al Mawakeb School, Khawaneej.

• Location: Garhoud
• School fees: AED 24,614 - AED 45,993
• Curriculum: American
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed from KG until Grade 4 / Segregate from Grade 5 and above
• KHDA rating: Good
• Years offered: KG 1 - Grade 12

Located in Al Garhoud, the school is within reach for families living in:

• Al Jaddaf
• Dubai Festival City
• Nad Shamma
• Umm Ramool
• Al Rashidiya

The nearest neighbourhood to the school is Umm Ramool. A residential and commercial community, Umm Ramool was recently connected to the Dubai Metro Red Line because of the opening of the Emirates Metro Station.

Families wanting to stay near the school can consider:

• Apartments for rent near Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud
• Villas for rent near Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud

Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud campus is a single-story low-rise building that has a large green outdoor field. The facilities provided are adequate for students to learn lessons effectively.

Al Mawakeb School is situated amidst commercial properties and international restaurants. The school is located in Al Garhoud, a mixed-use community that is close to the Dubai International Airport.

The school has been offering quality education for almost four decades. Hence, Al Mawakeb School Garhoud is ideal for those looking for quality schooling options for their offsprings.

First, the school is a part of AMSI group whose sole purpose is to provide schools with top-notch technology and facilities that will further enhance the quality of lessons.

Moving on, Al Mawakeb School Dubai provides a comprehensive university preparatory education to children belonging from all nationalities and backgrounds. Your child will learn par excellence lessons from Montessori to high school. Similarly, the school offers a multi-lingual program where students are introduced to English, French and Arabic language. Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud’s location in a busy area makes it accessible to families living in nearby communities.

Al Mawakeb School in Garhoud has divided the school into four categories.

Al Mawakeb School in Dubai follows the American curriculum that is slightly modified based on the Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines for subjects like Arabic Studies, Islamic Education, Social Studies and Moral Education.

Kindergarten

The kindergarten students are actively engaged in child-initiated and teacher-led activities. The curriculum focuses on developing basic numeracy, literacy and reading skills while allowing students to explore the world around them.

The school also runs a tri-lingual program at the kindergarten level so that children develop a preference for languages like French, Arabic and English early on.

Elementary School

Transitioning to the elementary school is a bit tough for the little ones. Students are trained and expected to be more independent in all aspects of school work. However, the development of reading, writing and numeracy skills continues with introducing novel concepts.

Students are also encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities and school trips to further expand their knowledge.

Middle School

Term assessments and tests are introduced in middle school to prepare students for a rigorous programme in high school. Children sit for international standardised tests like MAP, CAT4, PSAT and TIMSS.

Besides this, Al Mawakeb School ensures that students can conduct independent and group projects. They are also trained to use their research and problem-solving skills. Similarly, creativity and critical thinking are an integral part of the middle school curriculum.

High school

Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud curriculum for high school highlights the student’s ability to understand his or her university and career options. The primary aim of the school at this stage is to prepare children for entry into universities.

The four high school years are defined as Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior. In Grade 12, students receive a high school diploma certified by the KHDA. Besides this, your child can opt for an advanced placement course that will help them in applying for colleges in the United States and Canada.

A guidance counsellor also directs students on all required standardised tests such as PSAT, SAR, TOFEL and IELTS besides the basic university admission requirements.

Established by the government of the UAE, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) monitors and inspects private schools in Dubai. The agency closely evaluates the quality of teachers, facilities, education, teaching methods and senior leadership.

The result of the inspection is published annually by DSIB. Private schools are rated on a six-point scale ranging from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Very Weak as shown below.

The current KHDA Rating for Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud is Good.

Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud calendar is split into three terms. The academic calendar can be viewed on the school’s official website.

Being a non-selective school, Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud’s admission process makes it easier for children belonging to various backgrounds to apply for a seat.

The registration procedure starts with parents submitting the following mandatory documents along with the completed registration booking form.

• A copy of the applicant’s passport
• A copy of the applicant’s visa
• A copy of the applicant’s Emirates ID Card
• A copy of the applicant’s birth certificate
• A copy of both parents’ passport
• A copy of both parent’s valid residence visa
• A copy of both parents’ Emirates ID card
• Copy of custody papers (if applicable)
• A copy of the student’s last year school report
• Grade 9 to 12  applicants must present a Letter of Good Conduct from the last school attended
• Results of MAP and CAT4 tests from the previous school
• Students applying from
  • Dubai need to submit the original Transfer Certificate (attested) and transcript from the previous school
  • Other emirates need to submit the original Transfer Certificate and transcript from the previous school duly attested from the appropriate Educational Zone
  • Outside the UAE need to submit the original Transfer Certificate and transcript letter from the previous school (either in Arabic or English) duly attested by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE Embassy in the country of origin

Once these documents are submitted, parents are requested to pay an application fee. After this, your child will be called for an assessment and an interview.

If your child successfully clears the assessment and the interview, the school will make an offer. If you are accepting the offer, then you must deposit a registration or re-registration fee (for existing students only) to the school.

Mawakeb School, Dubai follows age placement guidelines for entry into each grade. Parents should know this framework before proceeding with the admission process.

This is based on the age of the students on 31st March (for schools beginning in April) and 31st August (for schools beginning in September). Source: KHDA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

Al Mawakeb School fees schedule is approved by the KHDA. Here’s a breakdown of the annual fee to give you a better understanding.

Additional costs that apply include:

• A registration fee (totalling up to 10% discount on the annual tuition fee) for new students
• A re-registration fee ( totalling up to 5% discount on the annual tuition fee) for existing students
• An application fee of AED 740, which is:
  • Refundable if the school does not offer a place to the student
  • Non-refundable if the school offers a place, but the student rejects it
  • Non-deductible if the school offers a place and the student accepts it

The school offers a sibling discount as well.

Students who fill the honour roll criteria can benefit from the Academic Honors and Awards programme at the Al Mawakeb School. If your child performs extraordinarily well in academics or a non-academic field, the school recognises his/her effort and rewards them with either a Letter of Achievement or partial scholarship.

However, only students in Grade 6 to Grade 12 are eligible to take part in this programme. Those who win the scholarship receive the certificate from AMSI alumni.

There are four categories of honours that a student can achieve including X- Honour, High Honour, Higher Honour and Highest Honour.

The school has a cafeteria that serves healthy and delicious hot and cold meals in break time. The school takes all the precautionary measures to ensure that the food that your child consumes is fresh and nutritious.

Parents must follow the school guidelines and avoid sending unhealthy snacks such as candies, crisps and fizzy drinks as lunch.

Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud provides transport services for students. All the buses are clean and in excellent condition to ensure a safe commute for the students. To use the transport service, parents must submit a filled transportation form to the school.

You are requested to inform the school beforehand in writing in case of change of location for pick-up and drop-off of your child. The school advises that you provide the correct information details on the transportation form to avoid any inconvenience later on.

Al Mawakeb School has designed the Scouts Program to provide students with the opportunity to learn new cultures, skills, make new friends and gain self-confidence.

Under this programme, students are taken on school trips, holiday camps and participate in community work.

Engaging students in physical activities is a priority of the school. To support this, top-notch sports facilities are made available to students. There is an indoor multi-purpose sports hall that also acts as a gymnasium.

Outdoors, you will find a full-sized football field and a running track.

Students can take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including:

Providing students with enjoyable moments and opportunities to learn outside the classroom, Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud arranges frequent field trips throughout the year.

Scouts Programs and Extracurricular Activities (ECA) are conducted after school.

There is a medical facility at the Garhoud campus of Al Mawakeb School. The clinic is looked after by a full-time nurse who keeps a record of students’ medical history and treatment. The clinic is well-equipped to provide first-aid treatment and administer minor injuries. However, Al Mawakeb emphasises that parents provide an updated vaccination report to the school.

To help students achieve academic excellence, Al Mawakeb believes in parents’ involvement. Parents must have access to school records and their child’s performance to facilitate learning at home.

Two E-services have helped parents communicate with teachers, school and the administration staff. The first one is a school portal where parents can access school reports, online lessons, time table, exam schedule, e-circulars, calendar, bus tracking and finances.

The second e-service is iCampus Mobile App. This app is more of an extension to the school portal that can be accessed from your mobile phones. The iCampus application is both Android and IOS-friendly.

Apart from these methods, the school also has traditional modes of communication in place. You can use Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud contact details to get in touch with the administration should you have questions.

Also, you can request to join grade-specific WhatsApp groups and receive instant alerts about any change in school policy and events because of unseen developments.

• Telephone Number: +971-4-285-1415
• Emails
  • General Enquiries: amg@almawakeb.sch.ae
  • Admission Enquiries: amg@almawakeb.sch.ae
• Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud Website

Note that the cover image belongs to Al Mawakeb School, Al Garhoud

Do you conduct after-school activities?

Scouts Programs and Extracurricular Activities (ECA) are conducted after school.

How many grades/years are there in your school?

KG 1 to Grade 12.

Does your school follow a co-education model?

The school follows co-ed model from KG 1 until Grade 4, after that boys and girls are taught separately.

Do you have any special education programmes or learning plans for students of determination?

Al Mawakeb School in Garhoud assists students of determination by providing tablets that help them learn using programs that convert written text into audio, in addition to educational programs with content Illustrator and interactive educational games.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of your school?

The academic calendar runs from the last week of August until the last week of June.

Can you please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by your school?

Annual tuition fee ranges from AED 24,614 and AED 45,993.

Do you offer scholarship programmes to needy and deserving students?

Yes, there's a scholarship programme in place to assist academically distinguished students. However, the scholarship is available to students enrolled in Grade 6 to Grade 12.

How do you communicate with parents?

The school is keen on effective communication with parents through electronic services, the school's online portal, the iCampus Mobile application and WhatsApp group.

Do you have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

Yes, the canteen serves students with nutritious and tasty meals.

How often does your school arrange field trips?

Field trips arranged by the school helps students in their classroom learning.