International schools in the Eastern Province are increasing in number, with 50 currently operating and 12 more due to be licensed, an official of the Department of Foreign Education, Ministry of Education in the Eastern Province said. “One indication that the number of foreign families is increasing in the Eastern Province is the proliferation of foreign international schools offering curricula required and recognized by the home countries of their students,” the official said. He said the increase in the number of foreign schools indicates that there are more foreign workers on family status as the Kingdom continues to recruit for long-term development projects that are now underway. International schools offer educational programs mainly for foreign nationals residing in the Kingdom. Many of them are established under the sponsorship of their respective embassies, while others are privately managed with local sponsors. Many of them are generally non-profit and aim to provide only education and training to their nationals. International schools in Saudi Arabia follow three main curricula – the US, British and international models. The international model, used by most foreign schools in the Kingdom, is followed by schools with language programs in Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and Pilipino. International schools offer education from kindergarten to high school. Subjects offered include science, arts, music, information technology, design technology, mathematics, etc. Extra curricular activities, such as sports, arts and social and cultural events, are encouraged. International schools in Saudi Arabia are approved and recognized by the higher educational bodies of the respective countries. They are also required to obtain a license from the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia in order to operate in the Kingdom. International schools are required to teach Arabic language and culture and to have two separate sections – one for boys and another for girls.
