Abdulaziz International Schools Al Wadi is the second school operated by the SABIS group in the city of Riyadh and one of four schools operated by them in Saudi Arabia.

The story so far...

Abdulaziz International Schools (AIS) Al Wadi (originally named Riyadh International Private School) was the second school to be opened with the AIS branding and under the management of Lebanese-founded (though now US-based) SABIS group. 

Located on the northern outskirts of the capital, the Al Wadi branch was founded in 2013 as a result of the high demand for the original Abdulaziz International School located in the centre of Riyadh in Al Sulaimaniah, opening with just over 300 students in KG1 through to Grade 3. The school is open for the 2022-23 academic year from pre-KG to Grade 8 and will continue to add grades until complete with Grade 12.  AIS-Al Wadi accepts both boys and girls, but in line with local laws and regulations, they are placed in separate, gender-segregated sections as of Grade 1.

The school's Mission Statement promises that  "Abdulaziz International Schools ― Al Wadi will be recognized as a provider of top-quality education to a highly diverse student body. It will prepare all students for success in college, equip them with the ability and desire for lifelong learning, and strengthen their civil, ethical, and moral values. AIS-Al Wadi will maintain high standards of efficiency and accountability throughout its operation."

What about the curriculum?

In common with all SABIS operated schools, AIS-Al Wadi, offers a patented SABIS® curriculum to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a solid academic foundation.

According to the group, this foundation helps students achieve their full potential and develop a love of lifelong learning.  However, the SABIS schools, in general, provide little detailed information about the curriculum though usually students have the option of either the British curriculum A Levels or a US High School Diploma.

The delivery of the curriculum has been subject to some criticism due to its highly structured and subject-siloed approach, as opposed to the more current focus an enquiry and independent research, and on skills development across subjects, preparing students for individual learning throughout their future studies and careers.  

The school itself says that “all courses for students at all levels are clearly structured to enable students and teachers to know precisely what should be learned. Teachers teach one concept at a time using the SABIS Point System® with each lesson alternating frequently between oral work, individual work, and group work in such a way that it is difficult for students to “switch off.”  However, in our opinion, if students and teachers are interacting in such a way that they are equally involved in learning, students 'switching off' should not be an issue.

A programme of regular testing also takes place using tests that teachers do not see in advance, but whose overall content they must be familiar with. Teachers are effectively, therefore, required to teach to the test content and are also measured on their students’ performance. SABIS say that “accordingly, students learn more in class and have more time for relaxation and fun after school.”

This system of academic tracking— the SABIS® AMS, a computerised method of detecting gaps in knowledge— allows the administration to closely follow the progress of each student. Gaps are pinpointed as soon as they form, and students' efforts are focused on eliminating them. This focus on gaining and reeling off knowledge in terms of facts to be repeated under test conditions, appears contrary to current practice in many international schools.

Students are also obliged to join the SABIS® Student Life Organization (SLO). Student members of the SLO are appointed by the administration for their competence, rather than elected by the students based on popularity. This is an unusual way to involve students in co-curricular or non-academic activities which are usually at the discretion of the individual. The focus of SLO is to "raise academic standards, promote high social and moral values, develop personality, develop communication and management skills, and involve students in organising sports and other activities."  

Again, it seems that it is the school management that drives student commitment rather than students independently taking responsibility to engage in these activities themselves.  

The school also states that “When teenagers fail to do their work, they may be asked to attend after-school study sessions for a few weeks where they are given remedial work and helped in study techniques.”  The presence of this statement suggests that this is an indication of the norm, rather than the exception. Motivated teenagers do not habitually fail to keep up with their studies in our experience.

What about Academic achievement?

Parents receive three reports on their child’s performance per year, one at the end of each term.

In an unusual arrangement that marks out the SABIS schools from all others in our experience, there is no direct contact between parents and their child’s teacher. Instead, 'Academic Quality Controllers' are responsible for acting as the intermediary between parents and teaching staff and are responsible for monitoring students’ performance through the school’s database.  

Whilst this may work as a measure of students’ academic performance, quite how the Academic Quality Controllers are able to comment on or address any non-academic social and emotional issues is not explained. Parents are also given advice on guiding their children in their work at home.

SABIS centrally annually advises that graduates from SABIS® Network schools around the world gain entry to highly competitive universities in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Middle and Far East.  SABIS® Network schools also pride themselves on the performance of their students at the most prestigious universities in the world including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Stanford to name a few.

The schools do not, however, provide any details of the results achieved for external examinations such as A Levels, AP or SATs.

What about support for students with additional learning needs?

The school says, in line with all SABIS schools, that it has a non-selective admissions process. However, it also stresses that The SABIS® Educational System™ is highly academically-oriented. The criterion for acceptance in a class is academic attainment, not age. Unusually, it is possible to find a three-year age range in the same class.   This can potentially lead to social difficulties in older students (the degree of difference in maturity between an 11 year old and a 14 year is likely to be very considerable).

The school makes no mention of specific learning support for students with additional learning needs.  The focus is very much on bringing students up to 'normal' standards, which implies that only academic short-comings are addressed. Historically, SABIS schools have not provided support for students with Special Educational Needs, and whilst they may be non-selective, our sense is that they are not fully inclusive.

AIS- Al Wadi says that there are no academic requirements for acceptance into Kindergarten (3 to 5 years of age). Prospective students at these levels are interviewed; they must be toilet-trained and able to speak and follow simple instructions.  The idea of a formal interview of a three year old is a difficult one to grasp.

For all other prospective students, diagnostic tests are required in the core subjects. These tests are designed to help to determine if the students have attained the minimum expected standard for each subject. The school then makes final placement decisions, and where a student does not meet the subject standard, may consider various strategies to help bring a student to the required level through ‘special academic support’. 

Students, according to the school admissions policy, who are found to be behind academically are rarely refused. Instead, they are offered one of several different solutions, depending on their academic needs. These may be:

• Summer School AIS Al-Wadi does not offer a summer school, but students who are below the academic standards may attend summer schools offered by a number of SABIS® Network schools in the region to make up for any academic gaps. There is an additional fee for this programme.
• A student found to be weak in one subject is required to attend extra periods in that subject until the level of the class is reached.

According to SABIS, students are "supported and reminded of the need to achieve the highest possible standard. Intense follow-up ensures no one slips through the cracks." We wonder how much pressure is placed on students in this scenario.

What about the facilities?

On opening in 2013, the school moved into a new, purpose-built campus, boasting modern sports facilities, an indoor swimming pool, and a tricycle track, in addition to several courts equipped with highly-secure play areas for students. The campus includes state-of-the-art classrooms with interactive whiteboards and science and computer laboratories, as well as a cafeteria.

The Buzz

Abdulaziz International Schools are long-established institutions in Riyadh, with Al Wadi campus celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023. Parents who choose AIS Al Wadi are no doubt aware of the SABIS curriculum and the way it is taught.  There are many families (often where parents are alumni) who absolutely swear by a system that drills learning into its students in an almost military fashion.  

However, for families coming from English-speaking countries where schools offer other international curricula – notably the British and International Baccalaureate systems - AIS-Al Wadi is likely to feel like a throw-back to the way schools were run two or more decades ago.  If you are an educational traditionalist, and your children share your preference for this style of learning, you will no doubt be satisfied with the school.

If you are a parent, teacher or senior student at Abdulaziz International Schools Al Wadi, please share your opinions and experience with other potential members of your community and complete our Survey.

What about the fees?

Fees at the Al Wadi school are identical to those of the Al Sulaimaniah campus ranging from 28,000 SAR in pre-KG to 41,500 SAR in Grade 12. Fees are payable in three installments with the first installment of 40% of the annual fees to be paid before the school’s start date. The second installment of 30% of the annual fees is to be paid during the 1st week of November 2022 and the final balance of 20% of the annual fees is to be paid during the 1st week of February 2023. Students will be admitted to class only after the relevant fees have been paid for each term. 

For new students there is a  joining fee of (2,000 SAR for KG students and 3,000 SAR for students in Grades 1 – 12) for which payment is required prior to the placement test. This fee is non-refundable unless the child is not accepted. If the child is accepted this fee will be deducted from the last fee installment of the first academic year.

For returning students, a registration deposit fee of 4000 SAR is to be paid following the announcement of re-registration for the new  academic year in February.

E-Book fees are not included in the tuition fees and VAT is not included in the above fees.

The school offers limited Sibling Discounts which are only applied to the second (10%) and third (15%) child of a family and will be deducted from the third installment. No discount is applied to the annual tuition fees of the fourth or subsequent child.

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