Who Owns Our Own English School?

Our Own English School was founded in 1968 by Mariama and K.S. Varkey, Indian-born teachers who had relocated to Dubai. The school was established to provide English-medium education following the Indian curriculum for the children of Indian expatriates who had come to Dubai to work in the emirate's growing oil industry and commerce sector.

Dubai in 1968 was a rapidly developing emirate on the cusp of major transformation following the discovery of oil. The influx of foreign workers, particularly from India, created demand for schools that could provide education in English following the Indian curriculum, which would allow students to continue their education in India or elsewhere if their families relocated. The Varkey family's school filled this need, establishing itself as one of Dubai's earliest private schools.

In 1980, Sunny Varkey, the son of the founders, took over the operation of the school. At the time, the school had fewer than 400 students. Sunny Varkey recognized the opportunity to expand the school and to develop additional schools to serve Dubai's growing population of expatriate families. Under his leadership, the school expanded significantly in enrollment and facilities.

Sunny Varkey's success with Our Own English School led him to develop additional schools in Dubai and, eventually, to build GEMS Education into a global school network. The company's name, GEMS Education (Global Education Management Systems), reflects the broader ambition that grew from the original school. GEMS Education is now one of the world's largest private school operators, with more than 60 schools across more than 20 countries.

Our Own English School grew over the decades to become one of the world's largest single-location schools. By the early 2010s, enrollment had reached approximately 10,000 students, an extraordinary figure for a single school campus. The school's large enrollment reflects the scale of Dubai's Indian expatriate community and the strong demand for Indian curriculum education in the emirate.

The school transitioned to a girls-only model as it grew, with boys' education served by separate GEMS schools in Dubai. This single-sex model allowed the school to focus its facilities and programs on the specific needs of its female student population.

In 2015, the school was formally renamed GEMS United Indian School, though it continues to be widely known by its original name, Our Own English School, which reflects its founding identity and its deep roots in Dubai's Indian expatriate community.