General Comments about Nurseries
There are many good nursery schools in Dubai and you should  be able to select one that meets your needs. However they fill quickly so try to get in early with your child's name. Most nurseries require the children be at least 18 months of age. The school day is usually 0800-1300 but some now operate in the afternoons ( check individual pages above) with the same holidays as full time schools. Nurseries do not therefore constitute a full-time day care option for small children, because your decision will most likely be based on location in relation to your residence, I recommend that you choose a nursery quickly after you have arrived in Dubai or if possible contact them through the above links beforehand. Ask around for opinions and make appointments to visit before selecting the nursery.  

General Comments from Parents
I am British. "Having looked long and hard last year for suitable pre-schooling provision for my son, who was 3, I would like to offer the following comments. Nursery schools, playgroups, crèches and so on (let's call them schools) generally follow the same pattern. They can provide transport to the school if you can get your toddler up by about 6 am. Alternatively you can drop off your child at a time of the school's convenience. Most of the schools are fairly committed to providing a good learning environment, but most follow an objective-based, lockstep, disciplined approach. However, you can find schools with a 'Montessori' approach. Your child will be often be transported from the school at a fixed time, and if you want to provide your own transport it is wise to be at the school at the right time. It seems that very few schools want to take any kind of responsibility outside school hours (e.g. 8.00 to 12.30). Naturally, with all generalisations there are exceptions. We were fortunate enough to find a school that was flexible regarding the time that we could drop off and pick up our child, and was still quite serious about giving the children some measure of a learning experience."

In reference to I am British’s comment.  It seems to me that a lot of people don't think that through very thoroughly before they get here and then get into all sorts of traumas with housemaids, nurseries etc..

A note on childcare: Finding a childcare solution for the working hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is tricky but it can be done. Nannies are one solution. If you want a childcare center but are having trouble with the hours (many of them either open too late or don’t stay open late enough), make sure to ask around when you first get here. I found a list of childcare facilities on Zayed University’s HR webpage. Incidentally we also ended up using Smart Children’s Nursery, as mentioned in a previous note on this page.

I have no idea if this is an option or if it is appropriate to put on the webpage, but it would be helpful for people moving to Dubai with children to try to be located close to schools and nurseries. If it’s at all possible, it would help people to know in advance to make sure to request a location appropriate for their family situation.

For a helpful guide to the ins and outs of Dubai tailored to the needs of children check out www.dubaikidz.biz