Dubai-based GEMS Education is set to open the Gulf's most expensive school in the UAE this year. The private school will have one of the highest fees levied globally.
With an expenditure of $100 million, the GEMS School of Research and Innovation will come up at Dubai Sports City.
What is Sunny Varkey's net worth?
Sunny Varkey, the chairman of GEMS Education, has a net worth of $3.8 billion as of January 2025, according to Forbes.
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His parents, Mariama and KS Varkey, were teachers from Kerala and started Our Own English High School in Dubai in 1968. When the laws required the school to be housed in a purpose-built facility, their son Sunny Varkey took over and expanded the campus. With local schools available only for Arabs, he saw the need for schools for expats. He opened schools for Indians, Pakistanis and the British with tailored curricula.
In 2000, he set up Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), an advisory and educational management company, as he looked to expand to other countries. Varkey later opened schools in England, India, Africa, Southeast Asia and the US.
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He founded the GEMS Education, serving as its executive chairman. His elder son, Dino Varkey, is the CEO while younger son, Jay Varkey, is an executive director and board member.
What are the facilities at the Gems School campus?
The upcoming GEMS School of Research and Innovation will have a slew of facilities including a 600-seat auditorium and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
An elevated football field on the campus will double as a helipad.
Besides, the school will also have a robotics and science laboratories as well as learning centres equipped with AR and VR technologies.
How much does the school fees cost?
The annual fees will cost approximately Rs 27,27,533 (AED 116,000) in the early years and it can go up to Rs 48,43,723 (AED 206,000) when they pass out.
The top schools in the world charge far higher than the upcoming Gems school. The Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St Gallen, Switzerland, has an annual fees of Rs 1,52,05,748 ($176,000) and California's Woodside Priory School, Portola Valley, charges Rs 77,75,667 ($90,000) per year. Eton College in the UK costs Rs 22,24,634 (£21,099).
