1976 — 2026

The Golden Jubilee.

A year of gatherings, stories, and reunions celebrating fifty years of Dubai Scholars.

From the CEO

A school built on a posture, not a curriculum.

In 1976, in a quiet villa in Deira, Mrs. Madhu Verma opened a school with fewer than a hundred children. She believed that academic excellence and personal character were inseparable — that compassion, empathy, integrity, respect, and accountability were not subjects to be taught but a posture to be lived.

Fifty years on, more than ten thousand Dubai Scholars have walked through our doors, gone on to universities on six continents, and built careers across every field. This year we bring them home.

Ms. Aparna Verma
CEO, SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL GROUP
Ms. Aparna Verma
Dubai Scholars Golden Jubilee

The next gathering.

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The Programme

Eleven moments across the jubilee year.

From an opening address in August to a closing prayer service the following June — a curated season of school and alumni life.

MS. APARNA VERMA · OPENING ADDRESS · DS AUDITORIUM
28 August 2026
Opening Address

A Special Address by Ms. Aparna Verma

The year begins.

Ms. Aparna Verma opens the golden jubilee year with her address to the full school community, setting out the vision for the celebrations to come. The morning concludes with a Staff Appreciation Lunch and Awards Ceremony — honouring the teachers, leaders, and staff who have sustained the school for fifty years.

Alumni
Alumni nominated as Speakers of the Day, sharing how their Dubai Scholars teachers shaped their lives.
FOUNDERS DAY · FILM PREMIERE · DS CAMPUS
13 September 2026
Tribute & Film Premiere

Founders Day & 50th Anniversary Film Launch

Gratitude, remembrance, and our story on screen.

On Founders Day, Ms. Aparna Verma personally launches the official 50th Anniversary Commemorative Film — a cinematic tribute woven from archival photography, alumni voices, and the school's most defining moments across five decades. The premiere is followed by a multi-faith prayer service, community-led readings, and a candle-lighting ceremony honouring the founders.

Alumni
Alumni feature prominently in the film — recorded testimonials, interviews, and archival contributions from former students across five decades.
DS TEDx · MAIN STAGE · 19 SEPT 2026
19 September 2026
TEDx & Scholarship Launch

DS TEDx and the Aparna Verma Merit Scholarship

Ideas worth spreading. An investment in excellence.

DS TEDx is the stage where student courage meets intellectual ambition. In the jubilee year, it carries a historic announcement: Ms. Aparna Verma launches the Dubai Scholars Merit Scholarship — an endowment of AED 50,000, awarded in five sponsorships of AED 10,000 each to students who demonstrate excellence, character, and promise.

Alumni
Alumni speakers join current students on the TEDx stage, sharing how public speaking and leadership shaped their careers.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS WEEK · DS CAMPUS
5–9 October 2026
Week-long Campaign

Breast Cancer Awareness Week

A Day in Your Shoes. Walk with us.

The annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign — anchored by 'A Day in Your Shoes' — asks students to step into the lived experience of those affected by the disease. A week of survivor talks, student-led awareness walks, storytelling sessions, and a pink-ribbon commemorative installation.

Alumni
Alumni who are survivors and healthcare professionals share personal stories as keynote speakers, making the cause personal for current students.
DS YOUTH ART FESTIVAL · GALLERY · NOV 2026
27 November 2026
Arts Festival

DS Youth Art Festival — Paint Your Thoughts

Fifty colours of Dubai Scholars.

The DS Youth Art Festival invites students to express through canvas, sculpture, digital media, and performance what it means to belong to a fifty-year legacy. A gallery-style exhibition unfolds across the school campus, with live painting, student-curated installations, and digital art showcases.

Alumni
Alumni artists and creatives return to mentor students and contribute signature pieces to the 50th Anniversary Gallery.
SPORTS CARNIVAL · DS GROUND · HOMECOMING DEC 2026
7–11 December 2026
Sports Carnival & Alumni Homecoming

Sports Carnival & Alumni Homecoming

Five days of sport. One day every alumnus comes home.

Five days of inter-house and inter-school competition across all disciplines, culminating on 11 December with the Alumni Homecoming: former students return to compete alongside current students in a special 50th Anniversary Sports Challenge. Reunion dinners and medals follow.

Alumni
Alumni form the 'Golden Generation' team, competing directly with current students. If you attend only one jubilee event, this is the one.
THE MEGA CONCERT · MADINAT JUMEIRAH · 9 JAN 2027
9 January 2027
A Performance in Five Acts

The Mega Concert

Five decades in music, memory, and meaning.

A full-scale evening production — orchestras, choirs, drama, dance, and student soloists — woven into a musical timeline of the school's fifty years. Each of the five acts represents a decade. The finale belongs to Ms. Aparna Verma. The largest performing arts production the school has ever staged.

Alumni
Alumni performers join current students on stage — an expression of the school's continuity across generations.
ACADEMIC EXPO · DS CAMPUS · JAN 2027
22–23 January 2027
Academic Expo

Whole School Academic Expo

Fifty years of brilliant minds.

A two-day festival of learning across all year groups, spanning STEM, humanities, languages, and the arts. Debate championships, quiz bowls, literary exhibitions, and innovation labs. The Expo is what the school has always taken most seriously: the work of the classroom, made visible.

Alumni
Alumni mentors — scientists, entrepreneurs, writers, and thinkers — lead workshops and judge student exhibitions across the two days.
DS FIESTA · GLOBAL VILLAGE · JAN 2027
30 January 2027
Cultural Festival

DS Fiesta — The Global Village

One school. Fifty years. One world.

A vibrant cultural fair with pavilions representing every nationality in the school. Food, music, costume, dance, language, and a parallel Film Festival — celebrating the diversity that has shaped this community for fifty years.

Alumni
Alumni return to represent their cultural heritage — cooking, performing, and storytelling alongside current students.
DS GOT TALENT · GALA EVENING · APR 2027
24 April 2027
Talent Showcase

DS Got Talent — In Honour of Ms. Aparna Verma

Every talent equally weighted, equally celebrated.

At Dubai Scholars, talent has never been confined to a single definition. DS Got Talent is a gala evening across twelve categories — from music and dance to coding, culinary skills, and stand-up comedy. The alumni serve as the jury.

Alumni
Alumni form the jury, judging every category — bringing real-world perspective and school pride to each performance.
GRATITUDE DAY · DS AUDITORIUM · JUN 2027
17 June 2027
Closing Ceremony

Gratitude Day — Closing Prayer Service

Where fifty years comes full circle.

The year began with prayer. It ends with prayer. A whole-school gathering of reflection — letters of gratitude read aloud by students, a special tribute to Ms. Aparna Verma, and the sealing of the 50th Anniversary Time Capsule for the next fifty years.

Alumni
Alumni from every decade return — sitting alongside current students in a symbolic chain of generations.
The Jubilee Gift

The Aparna Verma Merit Scholarship.

Most schools mark a milestone by asking for donations. Dubai Scholars marks fifty years by giving. The Aparna Verma Merit Scholarship — an endowment of AED 50,000, awarded in five sponsorships of AED 10,000 — recognises five students each year who exemplify the qualities this school was built on. It is a personal gift from Ms. Verma, and a living investment in the students who will carry the school's work forward.

Learn about the scholarship →

Attend.

RSVP to a jubilee event — from the Sports Carnival in December to the Mega Concert in January.

See the events →

Share.

Submit a memory, a photograph, or a story for the jubilee archive — small or significant, recent or old.

Submit a memory →

Reconnect.

Help us find a classmate who is no longer on the alumni rolls. The list is shorter than you might think.

Open the directory →

Fifty years from now, we hope this year will be the one alumni still talk about.