Lycée Français International Théodore Monod, Abu Dhabi

The main French school in Abu Dhabi, AEFE-homologated and managed by AFLEC in partnership with the Mission laïque française.

Around 1,750 students from nursery to Grade 12, with the Saadiyat campus running the full age range and Al Bateen housing primary. Founded 2006, ADEK rated Very Good in 2023-24, the first time the school has hit that level.

Curriculum is the standard French national programme, enriched with serious English and Arabic from kindergarten and a clear bilingual ambition through secondary. Reviews from francophone families describe strong academics and a school comfortably in the top tier of French education in the region.

Older feedback flagged tighter facilities at the previous Bateen site, but the move to Saadiyat has reset that conversation. Fits French-speaking expatriate families committed to baccalauréat track, and bilingual families who want to keep French open as an option through their children's schooling.

Year level	Age	Fee
MS (Kindergarten)	4	AED 33,490
GS (Kindergarten)	5	AED 33,490
CP-CM2 (Elementary)	6	AED 40,030
6ème-3ème (Collège)	11	AED 47,350
Seconde-Terminale (Lycée)	15	AED 65,250
Bilingual program - kindergarten		AED 4,500
School bus service		AED 5,000
Bilingual program - Grade 1 to Grade 10		AED 5,250

Year level

Age

Fee

MS (Kindergarten)

AED 33,490

GS (Kindergarten)

AED 33,490

CP-CM2 (Elementary)

AED 40,030

6ème-3ème (Collège)

AED 47,350

Seconde-Terminale (Lycée)

AED 65,250

Bilingual program - kindergarten

AED 4,500

School bus service

AED 5,000

Bilingual program - Grade 1 to Grade 10

AED 5,250

An AFLEC-managed French school that moved its full operation to a purpose-built Saadiyat campus and has since climbed ADEK's ratings to Very Good. The French baccalauréat runs through with a 100% pass rate, English IGCSE sits alongside, and an American international section has been added for families who want the bilingual pathway. Fees are premium for a French school in the city, and Arabic-stream results lag the rest of the curriculum.

Positives

Academic record. 100% pass at the 2024 bac, 93% IGCSE English pass rate, and Very Good ratings across French, English, maths and science in the most recent ADEK inspection. Brevet completion sits at 100% too.
Saadiyat campus. The Al Bateen site closed in 2022 and everyone moved to a new campus on Saadiyat designed for 2,000 students. Science, arts, sports and cultural spaces sit on a single site, and the move tracks with the rating jump.
Network and pathway. Run by AFLEC, partnered with the Mission laïque française, and inside the AEFE network. The French baccalauréat is the spine, with an American international section from Grade 6 and the French international baccalaureate option added in 2023.
Languages. French is the medium, with intensive English and Arabic from Kindergarten and Spanish and Mandarin available higher up. The multilingual setup is one of the school's stated draws and shows in the cohort, around 1,550 pupils from 51 nationalities.
Health and safety. Health, safety and child protection picked up the only Outstanding rating in the 2023-24 inspection. Supervision of younger children comes up positively in parent comments too.

Arabic and Islamic studies. Arabic as a first language, Arabic as a second language and Islamic Education sit at Good while the rest of the curriculum is rated Very Good. The gap is consistent across cycles in the latest inspection.

Fees. Annual fees run from around AED 33,000 in Pre-KG to AED 65,000 in the upper years, which is premium for a French-system school in Abu Dhabi. Buses cost extra and there is no canteen for kindergarten.

Location. Saadiyat puts the school in a quieter, lower-density part of the city. Families on the mainland are looking at a 15-minute-plus commute, often with a paid bus.

Laurent Donnat