Nursery Fees in Kuwait, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi

No regulator we found publishes an average nursery fee, so every figure here is one source's report. Kuwait has a reported ceiling of KD 1,800 a year. Sources put annual fees at SAR 27,000 to 50,000 in Riyadh and AED 25,000 to 60,000 in Dubai, and average fees at new Abu Dhabi nurseries at AED 17,750 to 51,375.

How much do nurseries charge in each city?

• Kuwait: Arab Times reported in 2022 that Art. 30 sets a ceiling of KD 1,800 per child per academic year and KD 200 a month, with the ministry setting fees by services. This is a ceiling, not a typical fee. We found no reliable figure for what nurseries actually charge.
• Riyadh: Argaam Weekend reported, from its own undated research with a 2025 copyright, SAR 27,000 a year at local nurseries and SAR 50,000 at international ones.
• Dubai: the same source reported AED 25,000 to 60,000 a year, while Invest in Dubai gives AED 3,000 to 5,000 a month. The sources differ and do not line up exactly. For one nursery's own fees, use the KHDA directory, which is more useful than any general range.
• Abu Dhabi: WAM reported in March 2025 that average fees at 15 newly licensed nurseries ran from AED 17,750 to AED 51,375. Al Ghad public nurseries are free, from three months to four years, for UAE nationals and children of Emirati mothers, with working mothers prioritised.

Why is there no official average?

We found no regulator publishing a market average in any of these places, so be careful with any number described as one. Use these figures as a starting point only, and ask every nursery you visit for a written fee list.

What extras should I ask about?

Before you sign, go through each of these:

• Registration and application fees, and whether they come off the tuition.
• Uniform, supplies and meals.
• Transport, and who provides it.
• Extended hours and any late pickup charge.
• Activities and trips, and whether they are optional.
• What you pay during holidays and when your child is ill.
• Sibling discounts, and how and when payment is due.
• The refund policy if you leave.

In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) Controls require a policy on contracts, payments and refunds (Art. 13), and Art. 14 allows annual or monthly subscriptions as well as daily or hourly places, so ask which suits you.

In the UAE, the Federal Tax Authority's June 2026 guide says uniforms, food and drink, and extracurriculars for an extra fee are not zero-rated, so ask whether quoted prices include VAT.

Can the fees go up?

In Abu Dhabi, ADEK says a nursery requests a rise between January and the end of April, it applies from September, parents are told before June, and three years must pass between increases. Elsewhere, ask when the fees last rose and how you would be told about the next rise.

Can I get Qurrah support in Saudi Arabia?

Qurrah is run by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF, known as Hadaf). HRDF's pages describe support of up to 50% of childcare cost, to a maximum of SAR 1,600 per child. According to HRDF, the conditions include:

• A Saudi mother working in the private sector and registered with GOSI.
• A registered salary of up to SAR 8,000.
• A child of up to 6 Gregorian years, including a non-Saudi child of a Saudi mother.
• A centre licensed by HRSD or the Ministry of Education and approved by HRDF.

HRDF's booking page says the centre must accept within one business day or the system cancels automatically, and the mother then has 24 hours to pay. Sources differ on the number of children: HRDF states no cap, while Okaz reported in 2019 two per mother under an older scheme. The programme is also moving to HRDF's Unified Platform, so confirm the current terms with HRDF before you budget around them.

Last checked 4 November 2026.