Dubai, UAE, September 28, 2010: Kingdom Holding Company, Chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud announced that Kingdom School and GEMS Education, the largest K-12 Private School Provider in the world, has announced a partnership agreement where GEMS Education will manage the school.
Eng. Talal Al Maiman, the Chairman of the board of Kingdom School (Executive Director for Development and Domestic Investments and KHC Board Member) said, “Partnering with the largest private school provider in the world, with its significant education expertise will have a very positive effect on our school both from an operational and academic perspective. Our quest to be the leading private school for Saudi Nationals in Riyadh will be enhanced by this partnership. After all GEMS have been operating in the Gulf region for 50 years.”
“It will build the education capacity of the school because we can harness the resources from the GEMS Global Network in areas like professional development of teachers and quality assurance.”
Eng. Almaiman added “This important partnership is going to bring to reality, and reflects HRH Prince Alwaleed’s vision to provide only the best of what can be offered in the field of education to our future Saudi leaders.”
The Kingdom Schools Company opened for business in the year 2000, with the goal of providing an individualized educational experience targeted to upper to the middle class segments of Riyadh's population. Kingdom Schools operates a private group of elementary, intermediate and high schools as well as a kindergarten for girls and boys in Riyadh.
The Chairman of GEMS Education, Mr. Sunny Varkey said, “This is a massive declaration of confidence in GEMS and represents the most important step into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to date. It is testimony to the track record that GEMS Education has developed over the past 50 years in the Middle East. Indeed I believe bringing GEMS expertise into Riyadh has positive implications for KSA’s education sector as a whole.”
The Country Head in KSA, Mr. Andrew Short said, “GEMS is committed to creating a strong partnership with Kingdom School. It is a commitment to creating a belief in the power of strategic and inclusive change management processes, and a respect for local culture and heritage. It is a belief in collaboration and cooperation and a focus on implementing performance management systems and academic improvement plans, they are the critical success factors of this partnership.”
This decision will lead to, concentrating on academic excellence, in order to further develop the school’s ‘college preparatory programs’ which will be of great benefit to students. GEMS graduates attend some of the best universities in the world.
GEMS has significant experience with a variety of national curricula, including American curricula. GEMS Dubai American Academy, which also offers the International Baccalaureate, is one of the most popular and best performing schools in the Gulf.
