Long commute, small homes: Meet UAE parents rebuilding life around schools

Khaleej Times

5 days ago

As rents climb and communities evolve across Dubai, a growing number of families are restructuring their lives around one non-negotiable priority — access to quality education.
From trading larger homes for smaller ones to relocating across the city despite rising property prices, parents are increasingly putting schooling at the heart of every life decision.
'Raising a family starts with school'
'We've been living in Springs since 2012,' said long-time resident Arijit Nandi, recalling how the community evolved alongside his growing family. 'First in Springs 7, we paid around Dh100,000 for a type 4M. However, those rents have now gone up to a minimum of Dh160,000 for the same type, depending on how much a villa has been upgraded.'
'Our son was born in that house, and then he started going to the Raffles Nursery in the Springs Souk, which came up later,' he added. 'It was literally built in front of our eyes.' With the nursery just a short walk away and all amenities within reach, the family found Springs to be a convenient place to raise a young child.
As their son grew older, the educational options in and around Springs became even more appealing. 'We learnt that Springs has several good schools in the neighbourhood, like Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills (DIA EH), Dubai British School, and Emirates International School–Meadows,' Arijit explained. 'That's when we became keen on buying a property.'
'Then covid happened.' Arijit shared that while many were hesitant, they saw the pandemic dip in property prices as the right time to invest. 'My wife suggested we explore newer communities, but I was quite keen on continuing in Springs. It's an older community, but that's exactly what makes it so liveable… it's green, quiet, and well-connected to the major roads like Sheikh Zayed and Al Khail.'
More importantly, the decision aligned with their son's schooling needs. 'Our son had just started at DIA EH, which is five minutes away from where we currently live, and it is one of the best IB schools in the city.'
'When you're raising a family, school becomes the centre of everything.' Arijit emphasised that their housing decisions were made around access to good education. 'We didn't want long commutes, and we didn't want to compromise on education.'
Arijit highlighted that in hindsight, it's been a worthwhile investment. 'Education is the anchor around which we've rebuilt our lives, and we're happy to make other trade-offs to give our child stability and access to one of the best curriculums and schools in this vicinity.'
'We've downsized, but school comes first'
British expat Sally Maddison has also reshaped her family's life around her children's schooling — and housing costs have forced more than one move in recent years.
'I'm now moving to Arabian Ranches 2 from Serena in Dubailand, after having lived in Sustainable City for years,' says Sally. 'Originally, I left Sustainable City and moved to Serena because the rent was significantly lower — but my kids' school, Fairgreen International, is in Sustainable City, where we had lived for years. That place really felt like home.'
Sally's family was forced to leave when their landlord sold the villa to another investor. 'We were paying Dh170,000, but the new landlord listed it for Dh310,000. We had no choice but to move. We found another villa in Sustainable City, but the rent shot up to Dh250,000.'
Eventually, that too became unsustainable.
Now, Sally is relocating to Arabian Ranches 2, where they'll be paying Dh210,000 for a villa — still a sharp increase from previous years. 'Two to three years ago, villas in Ranches were going for Dh130,000 to Dh150,000,' she says. 'We've downsized so much, but at least this new location is close to my children's school and their friends.'
While exploring other communities like Town Square and Emaar South, she found challenges ranging from traffic congestion to shrinking home sizes. 'The villas keep getting smaller — Arabian Ranches 3 is half the size of Ranches 1. Everything they're building now is more compact.'
But despite the compromises, Sally is clear about one thing… proximity to school remains non-negotiable. 'For us, school comes first.'
'We moved for affordability, but not at the cost of school'
For French expat Christine Quartier La Tente, rising rents left her with little choice but to move house. After years of living in the Springs, she shifted to Damac Hills 2 two years ago to manage costs more effectively.
'In 2023, we were paying Dh165,000 for a Type 1M villa in Springs — a large, three-bedroom home with a study that was nearly the size of a fourth bedroom. It was a very spacious house, but it just wasn't financially sustainable for us anymore,' said Christine. 'Now, we pay Dh105,000 in Damac Hills 2. For the past two years, we had been paying Dh95,000, which made a significant difference to our finances.'
However, while the family made compromises on their location, there was one non-negotiable — their daughter's school.
'I had promised my daughter Daria that no matter what, we wouldn't change her school because she loves her school. So, we've kept that promise,' Christine added. 'She's been at Raffles World Academy since her early years, and it's the one constant in our lives amid all the change.'
Christine shared that they never seriously considered shifting Daria to a nearby school in Damac Hills 2, also for another reason. 'She's always studied in an IB curriculum school, and most of the schools closer to us now follow the British curriculum. That made it easier to stick with her current school.'
The decision does come with a significant daily commute. 'My husband drops her to school in Umm Suqeim 3 every morning — it takes about 35 minutes. I pick her up in the afternoon, and it can take up to 50 minutes depending on traffic,' she explained. 'I take Sheikh Zayed Road, then Expo Road and E77, usually driving between 120–140 km/hr.'
Even when they lived in Springs, the school commute was never short. 'It used to take Daria about 45 minutes to an hour to get home by bus. To be honest, I have started liking Damac Hills now,' added Christine.