Choosing a nursery is one of the first big decisions for many families in Dubai, and there is a lot of choice. In October 2025 the Dubai Media Office reported 312 early childhood centres in the emirate, caring for more than 29,600 children from 163 nationalities and offering 17 different curricula (Dubai Media Office).
This guide explains what Dubai's rules already guarantee, what they leave to you, where to find the fees and what to look for when you visit. Figures about Waha's listings were checked on 29 October 2026.
Who checks Dubai's nurseries
In Dubai, nurseries are called early childhood centres, and they are regulated by KHDA, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, under Executive Council Resolution No. 35 of 2020. A centre needs a KHDA permit to operate, and the resolution says "Centres will be subject to audit and inspection by the KHDA at all times" (Dubai Legal Portal).
What KHDA doesn't publish yet is a rating. Dubai's private schools get a KHDA inspection grade that parents can look up; nurseries don't have one. In November 2025 KHDA introduced a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education, which Gulf News described as "the first step in establishing a robust and transparent quality assurance system" (Gulf News). For now, centres are invited to use it to review their own practice, so judging quality is still up to you.
From 45 days to six years
KHDA's guidelines set the age range. When they were announced in January 2022, Gulf News reported: "A child must be aged between 45 days and six years to be admitted to an early childhood centre (ECC) in Dubai" (Gulf News). Each centre sets its own range within those limits, so check the youngest and the oldest age a nursery takes before you visit.
The same guidelines set staff-to-child ratios, "ranging from 1:3 for the 45 days to 17 months age group" up to "1:12 for the 48 to 71 months group". In plain terms, one adult for every three babies under about a year and a half, rising to one adult for every twelve four and five year olds. Ask what the ratio is in the room your child would join, and how the nursery keeps to it at drop-off, lunch and nap time.
Fees: set by each nursery, approved by KHDA
There is no single fee table for Dubai nurseries. Each centre sets its own fees and KHDA approves them: the resolution gives KHDA the job to approve "Care and Education Fees, and any amendments thereof", and says a centre must "not change Care and Education Fees without first obtaining the relevant approval of the KHDA" (Dubai Legal Portal).
To compare fees, start with KHDA's own directory of education institutions, which parents can search by location, fees and other criteria (KHDA). On Waha, none of the 325 nursery and preschool pages shows a fee yet, because we only publish fees a nursery has confirmed, so ask each one directly. These questions help you compare like with like:
- Is the fee per term or per year, and how many terms are there?
- What's included: meals, nappies, trips, extended hours, uniform?
- Is there a registration fee or a deposit, and can you get it back?
- How much notice do you need if we leave, and what happens to fees already paid?
- Are there part-time options or a sibling discount?
Making a shortlist
Start with geography. Drop-off and pick-up happen every day, so a nursery near home or on your way to work keeps the routine manageable. Then check opening hours early: a nursery that closes at 3pm and one that runs until 6pm suit very different working days.
Waha's Babies and toddlers section lists 325 nurseries and preschools across Dubai by area, with opening hours and Google ratings where Google has them, and a way to call or message each nursery. Use it to see what's near you, then check each centre's fees and permit details in KHDA's directory.
Then think about approach. Dubai's centres offer 17 curricula between them (Dubai Media Office), so ask how a nursery's way of teaching links to the school you have in mind for later.
What to look for on a visit
KHDA's quality framework is built around five areas, and they make a useful checklist for a visit: "learning and curriculum," "partnership with families," "learning environment," "health and safeguarding," and "system leadership" (Gulf News).
- Learning and curriculum: ask what a typical day looks like, how much of it is play indoors and outside, and how staff keep track of what your child is learning.
- Partnership with families: ask how they will keep you updated, through an app, a daily report or a chat at pick-up, and how they help children settle in during the first weeks.
- Learning environment: look at the rooms your child would use, the outdoor space and where babies sleep. Notice whether the children seem busy and relaxed.
- Health and safeguarding: ask about the ratio in your child's room, who is allowed to collect children, how they handle allergies and medicine, and what happens when a child is unwell.
- Leadership: ask how long the manager and the room leaders have been there, and how the nursery deals with a concern from a parent.
If you can, visit on an ordinary morning as well as on an open day. Watching how staff talk to the children for ten minutes tells you a lot.
Classes alongside nursery
Nursery is only part of the week. At weekends you can add a class you do together, from baby and toddler classes and sensory play to swimming, and soft play is a good standby on hot days.
When your child is older and ready for clubs, our guide to one sport or several helps you plan the week. And if you have just arrived, New to Dubai? explains how clubs, classes and bookings work here.
