For Imran Anver, a member of the Sri Lankan community in Qatar, back-to-school spending is a planned household expense rather than a sudden financial burden.
"We usually spend a reasonable amount, mainly on stationery and supplies. Since we plan for it well before the term starts, it doesn’t feel like a sudden expense; it’s budgeted in advance as part of our regular back-to-school routine,” he told Gulf Times.
Anver said tuition remains his family’s biggest education expense, while uniforms, shoes, books, stationery and school bags are relatively manageable when purchases are planned and made early.
His family has noticed prices "creeping up with general inflation”, but promotional periods have helped offset some of the increases. "We’ve always shopped around for promotions, not just this year. Quality matters to us; we’ve learned that a good-quality item isn’t necessarily the most expensive one, so we balance value with price,” he said.
His approach is consistent with consumer advice previously issued by Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which has encouraged families to plan school purchases in advance, compare prices and consider lower-cost options for basic stationery. The ministry has also advised consumers to buy essential supplies before the peak back-to-school period where possible.
The latest price data provide context for the spending decisions families are making.
The National Planning Council said Qatar’s overall Consumer Price Index increased 1.95% year-on-year in December 2025. Clothing and footwear recorded a 3.28% annual increase, while education prices rose 2.04%.
The figures do not represent the actual amount families spend on preparing a child for school, but they show that some categories directly relevant to back-to-school shopping became more expensive over the year.
For Doha-based entrepreneur Umme Salma, the impact is more noticeable in the shopping basket.
She estimates that preparing one child for the new academic year can cost QR3,000–5,000, excluding tuition, depending on the school and what can be reused from the previous year.
Uniforms are among her family’s biggest expenses. She said a basic school shirt with a pair of trousers or a skirt can cost more than QR200, meaning that purchasing several sets quickly adds up. To Page 2
"Our expected spending is higher than last year, even though we are actually trying to buy fewer things,” Salma told *Gulf Times.
Her family is responding by prioritising necessities and postponing purchases that are not immediately required.
"We have decided to delay buying things such as new school bags and lunch boxes when the existing ones are still perfectly usable,” she said.
The family is also reusing uniforms where possible and comparing prices online before buying locally. For some products, Salma said, purchasing from outside Qatar can be considerably cheaper.
The experiences of the two families show that back-to-school costs can vary widely depending on school requirements, the number of children, what families already have and how they shop.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has also stepped up consumer protection measures around the back-to-school market. In January, it conducted inspections of stationery and office-supply stores, checking the availability of school supplies, displayed prices, consistency between shelf and checkout prices, and the validity and terms of promotions and discounts. The campaign also covered children’s supply stores and electronics shops.
The focus on education costs extends beyond school supplies.
In June, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched Qatar’s first School Fees Policy for private schools and kindergartens, which will formally take effect from the 2027–28 academic year. The policy links future fee changes to financial, operational and academic criteria and is designed to improve transparency and protect parents from unjustified increases.
The policy was implemented on a pilot basis for the 2026–27 academic year. According to the ministry, 99 schools and kindergartens submitted applications for increases in tuition, operating, service or optional fees. Of those, 54 were approved after meeting the required criteria, while 22 were rejected. The ministry also said parents would receive up to 18 months’ notice before an approved fee increase takes effect.
The scale of education-related household expenses is also reflected in the financial assistance provided to eligible families.
During the 2024–25 academic year, Qatar’s Zakat Affairs Department provided QR54.94m in educational assistance to 1,863 students from eligible families. Of the total, QR38.12m went towards fees for students in private schools and disability rehabilitation centres, while QR16.82m supported university students.
For families preparing for the new school year, however, managing costs does not necessarily mean sacrificing what children need.
Anver said his family continues to buy the essentials, particularly those required by the school curriculum, while relying on planning and promotions to keep the overall bill down.
Salma, meanwhile, said families are becoming more selective about what genuinely needs replacing each year.
"I think a realistic minimum would be around QR3,000–5,000 per child for the basic back-to-school requirements,” she said, while stressing that the figure can rise depending on school requirements and whether electronics and other additional items are needed.