UK's King’s College school to open first branch in Riyadh

Kings College Taunton School in south-western England. Courtesy Photo

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced a partnership agreement with the King's College Taunton to open its first branch in Riyadh this year, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

King's College Riyadh will be located in the Diriyah district of the capital and will open admissions in August 2021 for pupils aged 3 to 18.

The institute will have mixed classes for boys and girls and will initially open for preschool and eventually up to Year 13.

Arabic, Islamic studies and social studies will be central components of the institute’s curriculum.

The announcement came a day after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's interview with state television marking the fifth anniversary of Vision 2030.

As part of the programme, Prince Mohammed said: “Our objective is to have three universities ranked among the best 200 universities worldwide.”

Fahd bin Abdulmohsen Al Rasheed, president of the royal commission, said that the opening of the school aims to strengthen the educational sector and reflects the commitment of the commission to its partners in providing educational opportunities for Saudi and non-Saudi pupils and students.

"For those of us who studied abroad, we have spent so much money that we could have spent in our own country," Mansour Gabel, a Saudi resident, told The National.

“Parents dream of giving their children a world-class education. Universities in the kingdom have been doing really well in recent years, with two of our universities ranking in the top 200 across the world. However, [Prince Mohammed's] vision raises the bar as he is planning to create and bring the best educational institutes for the youth and future of this country. It’s really simple: this way, we spend within our country,” Mr Gabel added.

“We lacked such great opportunities growing up but I am glad my children and future generations of Saudi Arabia will be given top-tier education institutes in the country itself,” said Zainab Alwan, a Saudi resident.

Neil Crompton, the UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the opening of King's College School in Riyadh was an example of strengthening relations between the countries.

"This project is an example of our firm commitment to strengthening the educational aspect between our two countries,” Mr Crompton said.