"Home tuition in Sharjah" is one of the most-searched tuition phrases in the UAE, and "home tuition fees" is the question behind it. Families in Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are mostly in Indian, British or American curriculum schools with large classes, and tuition is normal; what is not normal is finding a clear price. This guide gives the fee ranges tutors, agencies and centres publish in 2026 for each kind of tuition, explains the UAE's private-teacher permit and why it changed the market, lists the checks before paying anyone, compares the emirates, and puts the online 1-on-1 alternative next to the local prices. We are that alternative, so we say so.
The fee ranges, 2026
Per hour, 1-on-1 at home, from the rates published by tutors on the UAE tutoring platforms and by agencies:
| Who teaches | Sharjah and Ajman | Dubai | Abu Dhabi | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University student or unlicensed tutor | AED 70 to 120 | AED 80 to 150 | AED 80 to 150 | Homework help; the tutor may change; no permit |
| Licensed, qualified teacher (often a working school teacher) | AED 130 to 250 | AED 150 to 300 | AED 150 to 300 | Knows the board and the school's pace; limited evening hours |
| Specialist: IB Diploma, IGCSE and A-level sciences, SAT | AED 250 to 400 | AED 300 to 500 | AED 300 to 500 | Exam-specific; often agency-placed |
| Agency placement fee | AED 200 to 500 once | Plus a cut of the hourly rate | ||
| Travel | AED 20 to 50 a visit, or a higher rate | Dubai to Sharjah traffic adds to it |
Group classes at a tuition centre, per subject per month:
| Centre class | Monthly fee | Group size |
|---|---|---|
| CBSE or ICSE maths, science, English (Class 6 to 10) | AED 800 to 1,500 | 6 to 12 |
| CBSE Class 11 and 12 (physics, chemistry, maths, accountancy) | AED 1,000 to 2,000 | 6 to 12 |
| IGCSE and A-level subjects | AED 1,200 to 2,500 | 4 to 10 |
| IB Diploma subjects | AED 1,500 to 3,000 | 3 to 8 |
| Registration | AED 200 to 500 once |
These are ranges from published centre fee lists and agency rate cards, not a survey of every provider; a specific centre's quote is the only exact number. CBSE centres cluster in Sharjah's Al Nahda and Rolla and Dubai's Karama, Bur Dubai and Al Qusais; IB and IGCSE centres in Dubai's Jumeirah, Barsha and Motor City.
What a term and a year cost
| Home tutor, licensed, 2 hours a week | Centre, one CBSE subject | Online 1-on-1 from India, 2 hours a week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A month | AED 1,300 to 2,400 | AED 800 to 1,500 | AED 300 to 400 |
| A school year (10 months) | AED 13,000 to 24,000 | AED 8,000 to 15,000 plus registration | AED 3,000 to 4,000 |
| Two subjects, a year | AED 26,000 to 48,000 | AED 16,000 to 30,000 | AED 6,000 to 8,000 |
The private-teacher permit, and why it matters
Until 2023, home tuition in the UAE was in a grey area: common, unlicensed and, strictly, illegal. In October 2023 the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Ministry of Education introduced a private teacher work permit, free, valid for two years, for school teachers, university students, unemployed residents and other qualified people, with the employer's consent where the tutor has a job. Tutoring without it is an offence for the tutor and for the family that hires them, with fines.
Two practical consequences. Licensed tutors are now identifiable (ask to see the permit), and their rates rose, because the pool is smaller and the risk is gone. And a family that hires an unpermitted tutor at AED 100 an hour is taking a legal risk to save money. Tuition centres are separately licensed by the emirate's education authority: KHDA in Dubai, SPEA in Sharjah, ADEK in Abu Dhabi; a licence number should be on the centre's wall and its receipts.
Online tuition from a company outside the UAE is a different arrangement: the tutor is not working in the UAE, the contract is with the company in its own country, and the permit does not apply; the family is buying a service from abroad, like any online course.
Checks before you pay anyone
- The permit (home tutors) or the licence (centres).
- The qualification, in the subject, not just a degree: a B.Ed or master's in maths for maths.
- The board. CBSE Class 10 and IGCSE are different exams with different mark schemes; ask which the tutor has taught and for how many years.
- A trial class at the real time, with you in the room, on the child's current chapter.
- What the hour includes: marked homework, notes, a monthly report, and whether the same tutor stays all year.
- The exit: notice period, and refunds if the tutor leaves.
How the emirates differ
- Sharjah has the largest concentration of Indian-curriculum schools and the most CBSE tuition, at slightly lower rates than Dubai; many Sharjah families use Dubai tutors who charge for the drive.
- Ajman has fewer tutors and centres; most families use Sharjah's or go online.
- Dubai has the widest choice and the highest rates, especially for IB and British-curriculum tutors in Jumeirah, Barsha and the Springs.
- Abu Dhabi rates match Dubai's; the supply of CBSE tutors is smaller, and the Indian schools (the Abu Dhabi Indian School, Sunrise, Model) sit in a few districts where tutors cluster.
Our guides to online CBSE tuition in the UAE and CBSE schools in Dubai and their fees cover the schools.
The online alternative
The reason "online tuition" now outsearches "home tuition" in the UAE is the arithmetic above. A master's-qualified teacher in India teaching 1-on-1 online costs about AED 37 to 48 an hour at Science with Shobha, in CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, IB and the American curriculum, at 4 to 8 pm Gulf time (an ordinary Indian evening, so the same teacher stays all year), with every class recorded and the homework marked. That is a quarter of a licensed home tutor and a third of a centre, with the whole hour on one child. Our pages for Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have the class times and the schools we see most; the UAE page has the full list. The first class is free, at a time you choose, with you in the room.
Questions parents ask
1How much does home tuition cost in Sharjah?
2How much do tuition centres in Dubai and Sharjah charge?
3Is home tuition legal in the UAE?
4What is the cheapest way to get a good tutor in the UAE?
5How many hours of tuition a week does a child in a UAE school need?
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Shobha
Founder and lead tutor, Science with Shobha
Teaching maths, science and English to children online since 2018. 500+ students, 20+ tutors, families in nine countries.