{
  "id": 534186,
  "title": "UAE back-to-school costs: How parents are saving on uniforms, books and more",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/uae-back-to-school-costs-how-parents-are-saving-on-uniforms-books-and",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-11T04:22:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/education/uae-back-to-school-costs-how-parents-are-saving-on-uniforms-books-and-more-1.500636763"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai schools reopen on August 31 and families nationwide prepare for back-to-school expenses. Uniforms alone can cost hundreds of dirhams per child, with other costs for shoes, stationery and supplies rising each year. Some parents have found ways to manage these costs, from buying shoes in advance to swapping used textbooks. Buying school supplies early and smart can cut costs significantly. Fern Millroy, a mother of three, buys shoes in advance whenever there's a sale, allowing her to switch sizes as her children grow. She also shops locally and abroad for the best prices. Planning ahead can save both time and money, and some schools offer discounts on uniforms if bought before a certain date. For stationery, Millroy prefers small local businesses and Etsy sellers to avoid losing items. Wajiha Bari, COO of The Citizens Foundation UAE, expects her family's back-to-school costs to increase by 15-20%, primarily due to uniforms, supplies and technology. She and her family try to reuse stationery from previous years and avoid unnecessary technology upgrades.",
  "summary": "Dubai: On August 31 , schools across the UAE reopen after the summer break and households across the country are entering the annual scramble to restock uniforms, shoes, stationery and school supplies before the bell rings. It's a ritual that comes with a real price tag - uniforms alone can run into the hundreds of dirhams per child, and with the cost of everything from shoes to school bags…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}