Dubai: Taaleem Holdings PJSC, an education provider in the UAE, has launched Dubai-based Dubai British School (DBS) Mira, the second Greenfield development under its portfolio of schools. The school is set to welcome student in August 2025.
The announcement of DBS Mira by Taleem - comprising 26 schools - follows the commencement of construction of DBS Jumeira, Dubai, set to open in September 2024.
Located in Emaar’s Mira community, the school will be the fifth DBS school in operation once completed.
DBS Mira and DBS Jumeira are each expected to cater for in excess of 1,600 students once fully utilised.
Dubai British Schools’ existing campuses in Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Park already cater to more than 3,000 students, with these and Taaleem’s other UK premium schools all at capacity.
Milestone
Alan Williamson, Chief Executive Officer at Taaleem, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of Dubai British School Mira in a rapidly expanding and sought-after community, marking the next milestone in our five-year strategy which we set out at the time of our IPO.
"Our decision to introduce DBS Mira, which will accommodate over 1,600 students at full utilisation, further emphasises our dedication to our growth strategy. In addition we remain committed and on track to complete a further two greenfield projects.
“DBS Mira will enhance enrollment and resource optimisation across our premium and partnership schools’ network, extends our premium schools’ portfolio in the UAE and offers new communities the opportunity to access values-based world-class education at an affordable price point.
"By prudently and strategically employing the capital raised from the IPO to expedite growth, Taaleem remains committed to delivering attractive returns and capturing additional profitable long-term growth, in order to maximise value for our shareholders.”
Demand
Sam Truman, Chief Operating Officer at Taaleem added: “We are seeing overwhelming demand for enrolment across our premium schools’ network, most notably our Dubai British School campuses in Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Park. We’re incredibly proud to have built such an attractive offering in the Dubai British Schools brand and a reputation for delivering great outcomes for students, their families and our wider communities, which will continue with DBS Jumeira and now with DBS Mira.”
DBS Mira will initially cater to students aged between three and 11 in Early Years Foundation Stage 1 to Year 7, delivering the globally recognised British Curriculum and promising a nurturing environment and strong focus on sustainability and community.
Enrolment
Enrolment for DBS Mira is open now, reflecting the significant demand for places in Taaleem’s network of premium schools.
Since its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2022, Taaleem has continued to deliver on its growth strategy, including the ramping up of enrollment and utilisation at its existing schools, while also continuing to recruit and train the best available educators to cater to the UAE’s continued population growth.
In the six months to February 28 2023, Taaleem delivered impressive results, with year-on-year enrollment growth of 45.9 per cent to 28,503 students.
Revenue of Dh468.6 million (+30.2% YoY) and EBITDA of Dh167.8 million (+18.7% YoY). DBS Jumeira and DBS Mira are expected to add a further 3,200+ students to Taaleem’s portfolio once fully utilised.
In March 2023, KHDA and ADEK, the government departments responsible for education sector regulation in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, respectively, announced private schools would be eligible to increase student fees for the coming academic year, following a fee freeze that has been in place across both Emirates for the last three academic years.
Taaleem’s average fee increase across its premium schools portfolio will be 2.8 per cent for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Performance
Taaleem’s established and respected mix of 26 premium and Government Partnership schools continues to deliver strong Groupwide enrollment and profitability growth and present further opportunities for network expansion across the UAE, enabled by continued strong performance in KHDA and ADEK ratings, a well-known suite of brands and the strong operating environment in the UAE.
