The complete KHDA-compliant process — from NDA to handover — for acquiring a nursery, school building or operational campus, written by the team behind Dubai's largest publicly listed schools for sale in Dubai.
Decide between an asset purchase (the school building/land only) and a going concern (building + KHDA licence + enrolled students + staff + brand). Asset purchases suit investors who will lease to an operator; going concerns suit education groups who want day-one revenue.
Operational schools sell discreetly — public listing would unsettle parents and staff. Serious buyers sign an NDA to receive the information memorandum: enrolment history, fee structure, KHDA inspection reports, staff contracts and audited financials.
Verify: KHDA rating trajectory and any compliance notices, enrolment trend over 3-5 years, fee-increase approvals (KHDA caps fee rises by rating), staff visa liabilities and gratuity accruals, building compliance with the 15 sqm-per-student rule, and title/mortgage status at the DLD.
Sign the Sale & Purchase Agreement covering price, what transfers (property, licence, brand, curriculum accreditation), staff continuity and handover-period support from the seller. Larger deals often use a UAE SPV to hold the asset.
The KHDA must approve the licence transfer to the new owner — expect scrutiny of your education track record or your appointed operator's. In parallel, the DED trade licence is updated. Free-zone structures (e.g. for higher-education assets) follow the zone authority instead.
The property transfers at the Dubai Land Department with the 4% transfer fee. Then staff contracts, curriculum accreditation (British/IB/CBSE/American), parent communications and operational handover complete — typically months 4–6 of the process.
Indicative ranges — every school prices on enrolment, rating, curriculum and tenure.
| Asset | Typical Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery (business) | AED 1M – 5M | KHDA-regulated, 50–200 children, fastest acquisition |
| Nursery (with property) | AED 3M – 8M | Freehold villa-conversion or purpose-built |
| Primary school campus | AED 15M – 40M | 500–1,000 students |
| Full K-12 campus | AED 50M – 150M+ | 1,000–3,000+ students, going-concern |
| Premium / freehold campus | AED 100M – 300M | e.g. our freehold CBSE campus in Old Dubai at AED 270M |
| School-zoned plot (build new) | From ~AED 5M + build | Academic City, Dubai South, master communities |
Add: 4% DLD transfer fee, ~2% brokerage, KHDA/DED licence costs, first-term working capital.
Browse every school for sale in Dubai we can list publicly — operational campuses, a freehold CBSE school, nurseries and school buildings — or register your brief for the off-market portfolio.
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