Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Arab world, and the largest in Western Asia and the Middle East. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. Bahrain is an island country off the east coast. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains. Its capital and largest city is Riyadh. The country is home to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.
International Schools Group (ISG), formerly Saudi Arabian International Schools (SAIS), operates five individual schools in the Saudi Arabia: American School Dhahran (ASD), British School Dhahran (BSD), ISG Dammam, ISG Jubail, and Sara Village School (SVS). Two schools offer the National Curriculum of England and Wales, while the others offer an American curriculum.
Public education—from primary education through college—is open to every Saudi citizen. The second largest governmental spending in Saudi Arabia goes for education. Saudi Arabia spends 8.8% of its gross domestic product on education, which is nearly double the global average of 4.6%. Islamic studies are part of the education system alongside scientific and social studies that vary from educational institution to another.
The Saudi Arabian textbook controversy refers to criticism of the content of school textbooks in Saudi Arabia following the September 11 attacks.
Dhahran is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Together with the nearby cities of Dammam and Khobar, Dhahran forms part of the Dammam Metropolitan Area, which is commonly known as greater Dammam and has an estimated population of 4,140,000 as of 2012.
The Pakistan International School, Al-Khobar, more popularly known by its former name as the Saudi Arabian International School (SAIS) due to its huge Pakistani student body and teaching staff, is a school serving the Pakistani community of Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia residing in the cities of Khobar, Dammam, Dhahran, Thuqbah, Ras Tanura, AbqaiqSafwa City, Jubail and Safwa City. The study curriculum of the school is based on that of Pakistani education standards.
Yanbu International School (YIS) was an accredited K -12 college preparatory school offering an American curriculum open to students of all nationalities. It was located in the residential area of the Royal Commission of the coastal city of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Accredited by the Middle States Association, it was part of the International Schools Group, an organization that runs eight schools across Saudi Arabia. It was directed by the head district and the Board of Trustees in Dhahran, and licensed by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education. In July 2018, the school officially shut down and is no longer open.
Sakākā is a city in northwestern Saudi Arabia which is the capital of Al Jawf Province. It is located just to the north of the An Nafud desert. Sakakah had a population of 242,813 at the 2010 census.
The Jubail International School, also known as Yandhi is a member of the Al-Hussan network of schools, including its sister school Al-Hussan Academy in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. It opened in September 1999 and has KGI to grade 12 with students representing around 18 nationalities. The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education, General Administration, approves the school for expatriate education. The language of instruction is English.
Al Tawhid International School (ATIS) was a Philippine & Pakistani-accredited school located in the residential area of the coastal city of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia Licensed by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education (MOE) license n°: 198/S. The student body is divided into three levels: Preschool, elementary, and high school.
British International School Riyadh (BISR) is an international co-educational school located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It caters to English-speaking boys and girls aged 3–18 and follows the National Curriculum of the United Kingdom.
The Dhahran School is an international school owned and operated by the Saudi Aramco Schools district. It is part of the Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools District. Dhahran School is exclusively used by children of Saudi Aramco employees and serves children from kindergarten through grade nine. Dhahran School is free of charge for all children of Saudi Aramco employees. The Dhahran School is located inside the Saudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran, operated by Saudi Aramco, within the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The school is divided into the Dhahran Hills School and the Dhahran Middle School, where the Dhahran Hills School serves children from kindergarten through grade four and the Dhahran Middle School teaches students between the grades five and nine. The mascot of the Dhahran Hills School is the Arabian Horse, while the mascot of the Dhahran Middle School is the Wildcat. There is also a Dhahran High School that is in Saudi Arabia, but it is not in the school district.
Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia are either Pakistani people who live in Saudi Arabia even though having been born outside Saudi Arabia or are Saudi Arabian-born, but have Pakistani roots. By Pakistani roots, this could mean roots linking back to Pakistan or Pakistani diaspora or South Asia. Many Pakistani army officers and soldiers also serve in Saudi Arabia and train the Saudi military cadets. According to a 2020 estimate, 1.06 million Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Saudi Arabia are the largest community of expatriates in the country, most of them coming from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and most recently, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Pakistan International School are schools based outside Pakistan which promote the national curriculum. These schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and cater mainly to students who are not nationals of the host country such as the children of the staff of international businesses, international organizations, embassies, missions, or missionary programs. For overseas Pakistani families, these schools allow continuity in education from Pakistan as most prefer to stay in the same curriculum, especially for older children. Pakistan international schools typically use curricula based on the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and offer both Urdu language and English language classes. Some schools also offer International General Certificate of Secondary Education. The first Pakistan international school was opened in Isa Town, Bahrain in 1956 as the Pakistan Urdu School.
The American International School of Jeddah, or the "American School" in short, is an international school with American curriculum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1952, the American International School of Jeddah is a U.S. accredited Pre-K - 12 college preparatory institution.
Saudi Arabian media often attacks Jews in books, news articles, and mosques with what some describe as anti-Semitic satire. Saudi Arabian government officials and state religious leaders often promote the idea that Jews are conspiring to take over the entire world; as proof of their claims, they publish and frequently cite The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as factual.
Nobles International School was established in 2000 to the local community in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia based on the American Curriculum. The school is a fully accredited school. It has two sections: Boys section for boys from grade 4 to grade 12, and the Girls section for boys and girls from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and for girls only, from grade 4 to 12.
Manarat Jeddah International School is an international school for both boys and girls established in 1977 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
American School Dhahran (ASD) is a coeducational day K-12 school located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia as part of the International Schools Group. Founded in 1962 as Dhahran Academy, the non-profit school primarily served children of the staff of the US Consulate in Dhahran. Dhahran Academy was renamed to be Dhahran High School in 1999 after the school moved to provide a full K-12 American curriculum. In 2021, ISG's Dhahran Elementary Middle School and Dhahran High School merged to become the American School Dhahran.
