Cities / Dubai / Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills (DIA)
Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills (DIA)
The first school in Dubai to offer all four IB programmes, founded 2005 by Innoventures, with around 2,760 pupils on a purpose-built Emirates Hills campus and a KHDA Outstanding rating.
In brief
As Dubai's first school to offer all four IB programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, and CP), DIA Emirates Hills has established itself as the benchmark for IB education in the UAE. The school serves nearly 2,760 students on a purpose-built campus featuring specialized STEM hubs, competition-level sports facilities, and arts spaces. Under the Innoventures Education group led by founder Poonam Bhojani, the school has maintained consistent academic excellence with graduates securing places at top global universities including Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Cambridge, and Oxford.
The school's KHDA Outstanding rating in 2023-24 makes it the only IB continuum school in Dubai with this distinction, recognized particularly for teaching quality, pastoral care, and educational innovation. Teacher feedback reveals a mixed employment picture - while educators appreciate the high academic standards and diverse student body, some note that salary packages have become less competitive compared to other Dubai schools. Parent discussions highlight the school's strong academic reputation and effective systems, though securing admission can be challenging with waiting lists requiring persistent follow-up.
Strengths
- Dubai's first and most established IB continuum school offering all four IB programmes
- KHDA Outstanding rating - the only IB continuum school in Dubai with this distinction
- Strong university placement record with Ivy League and Oxbridge acceptances
- Large, diverse student body of 2,760 students from 85+ nationalities
- Purpose-built facilities including specialized STEM and design hubs
- Experienced leadership under Innoventures Education group
- Good student behavior and academic engagement according to teacher reports
Considerations
- Teacher reports suggest salaries have become less competitive compared to other Dubai schools
- Difficult admission process with waiting lists requiring frequent follow-up
- Some teacher feedback indicates increased focus on compliance and ratings over staff support
- Heavy workload expectations typical of schools pursuing high KHDA ratings
- Primarily Indian nationality mix may not suit all families seeking diversity
- Limited recent detailed information about specific academic results and fee structure
Academics
Dubai International Academy (DIA) Emirates Hills is rated 'Outstanding' by the KHDA (KHDA). Academic results for the IB Diploma Programme (May 2024) include a 100% pass rate at DIA (compared to 80.1% worldwide), with an average point score of 35.25 and a highest total score of 45 (DIA IBDP Results). University destinations include prestigious institutions such as Brown University, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, NYU, Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, LSE, King’s College London, UCL, and McGill University (DIA Career Counselling).
School life
The school offers over 23 competitive sports, including swimming, athletics, football, cricket, basketball, netball, rugby, and tennis (DIA Sports). Arts and clubs include a school musical, upper school choir, Model United Nations (MUN), TEDx Youth, debating, World Scholars Cup, and various community initiatives (DIA Co-Curricular). Competitive teams participate in the DASSA leagues, with 90% in Division 1 (DIA Sports).
The campus is built on 350,000 square feet of land (DIA Facilities) (noted elsewhere as 482,000 sq. ft. (DIA Homepage)).
Student body
The school enrolls 2,700+ students (DIA Homepage) from over 80 nationalities (Innoventures Education). The age range is 3 to 18 years, covering KG1 to Year 13 (DIA Admissions). Specific class sizes are Not published.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| KG1 | 3 | AED 44,979 |
| KG2 | 4 | AED 50,726 |
| Year 1 | 5 | AED 51,202 |
| Year 2 | 6 | AED 57,983 |
| Year 3 | 7 | AED 57,983 |
| Year 4 | 8 | AED 57,983 |
| Year 5 | 9 | AED 57,983 |
| Year 6 | 10 | AED 57,983 |
| Year 7 | 11 | AED 65,224 |
| Year 8 | 12 | AED 65,224 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 65,224 |
| Year 10 | 14 | AED 72,482 |
| Year 11 | 15 | AED 72,482 |
| Year 12 | 16 | AED 79,696 |
| Year 13 | 17 | AED 79,696 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Test Fee | AED 525 |
Reviews
Innoventures' flagship IB campus and the longest-running IB continuum school in the country, with the headline academics and KHDA standing to match. Parents who get a place tend to stay. The frictions are the ones that come with being full: waitlists, big year groups, and the communication strain that follows.
Positives
- IB results. DP 2024 averaged 35.25 with a 100% pass rate on the largest DP cohort in the country at 155 students. 2025 produced two perfect 45s. MYP averaged 43 out of 56. The track record at the top end of the curriculum is the headline.
- KHDA standing. Outstanding in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and the only full IB continuum school in Dubai sitting at the top tier when the most recent ratings landed. Wellbeing and pastoral provision sit at Very Good.
- IB continuum and inclusion. Full PYP, MYP, DP and CP under one roof, the first UAE school authorised for the complete range. SEN and inclusion provision draws consistent praise rather than the polite nod most premium schools get.
- Pastoral feel. Warm, child-supportive culture comes through in parent commentary, particularly for families moving in mid-year. Children settle, and the academic gear shifts up without the school feeling pressure-cooker.
Considerations
- Capacity and waitlists. The school sits at or near full capacity at roughly 2,650 to 2,760 pupils, and popular year groups carry waitlists. Applications 12 months ahead are the working assumption.
- Class sizes. Parents flag large classes and a sense that facilities are being asked to stretch. The complaint sits alongside the Outstanding rating rather than against it, but it comes up often enough to count.
- Teacher turnover and pay. Official turnover at 16% sits below the Dubai average, but parents still raise staffing churn in specific year groups. Teacher-side commentary points to salaries lagging the premium-fee market the school competes in.
- Parent communication. Parent satisfaction with school feedback runs below the city average in the KHDA survey work, around 62% against a Dubai norm closer to 72%. The complaint is about responsiveness and clarity rather than warmth.
- Fees. Premium band, AED 44,979 to AED 79,696 across the year groups. Value perception is positive among current parents on the strength of the IB outcomes, but the headline numbers sit at the upper end of the Dubai IB market.
Leadership
Hitesh Bhagat
Sylvain Lunetta is the current Proviseur (Head of School) of Lycée Français International de l'AFLEC in Dubai, a position he has held since August 2022, leading the only French school rated 'Outstanding' from nursery to high school by KHDA.
Accreditations
- KHDA 01
Academic results
- IB Diploma 2024 pass rate 100%
- Average points obtained by candidates at DIA who passed the diploma 35.25
- Average points obtained by candidates worldwide 30.3