The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls
About The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls
The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls (SZPAG) is a private academy on Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street in Al Rowdah (Al Bateen), Abu Dhabi, the original Sheikh Zayed academy, founded in 2000 and managed by GEMS Education, with the Academy for Boys following later. It delivers a blended, bilingual curriculum, the American Massachusetts Common Core combined with the UAE Ministry of Education programme and a deeply embedded Emirati identity ethos, from Pre-KG to Grade 12, with Advanced Placement courses and accreditation from NEASC and CIS. Classes are co-educational from Pre-KG to Grade 3 and girls-only from Grade 4. Around 1,500 students attend (about 91% Emirati), taught by some 130 teachers at a 1:11 ratio. Long regarded as one of Abu Dhabi's most prestigious schools, it is rated Outstanding by ADEK (2024 Irtiqa'a, up from Very Good), pairing a strong national identity with a modern US-aligned education across two buildings with libraries, ICT and science laboratories, a theatre and gymnasia.
Fees read from the school's published 2026-27 fee schedule; ADEK rating from its 2024-25 inspection report. Last checked 30 June 2026. How Talem verifies →
Annual tuition fees
Fees for 2026/2027, per year group. Excludes registration, uniform, and transport.
Official 2025/26 fees (GEMS Education). Tuition excludes uniform (AED 835-1,495), transport (~AED 5,000/year) and a compulsory digital device for the upper grades.
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ADEK Rating
ADEK 2024–2025 inspection
Stages & pathways
Kindergarten
Pre-KG-KG2Co-educational early years in dedicated kindergarten play areas, blending US early-learning standards with Arabic and UAE cultural foundations.
Elementary
Grades 1-5The American Massachusetts Common Core blended with UAE MoE subjects. Co-educational to Grade 3, then girls-only from Grade 4.
Middle School
Grades 6-8Subject-specialist middle school (girls-only) with STEM through ICT and science laboratories.
High School
Grades 9-12The US High School Diploma with Advanced Placement (AP) courses, blended with UAE MoE requirements. Accredited by NEASC and CIS.
How to apply
Facilities
Theatre
An on-campus theatre for performances and assemblies.
Libraries (Knowledge Centre)
Separate Elementary and Secondary libraries / Knowledge Centre.
Three ICT Laboratories
Three ICT laboratories plus a dedicated Mac Suite.
Four Science Laboratories
Four science laboratories across the elementary and secondary phases.
Mac Suite
A dedicated Apple Mac computing suite.
Gymnasia (Both Buildings)
A gymnasium in each of the school's two buildings.
Kindergarten Play Areas
Dedicated, age-appropriate kindergarten play areas.
Dining Room
An on-campus dining room.
School leadership
Dr. Emma Merva
Principal
Amirah Salah
Vice Principal
Nicola Matthews
Head of Elementary and Early Childhood
Lyndsey Bryden
Head of Secondary
Jacquie Boulos
Head of Arabic Studies
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Questions & answers
Where we are
Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street, Al Rowdah (Al Bateen), Abu Dhabi, UAE
