By Ritika
International school groups expand their footprint across the GCC using multi-curriculum, multi-school models to meet rising demand even as construction costs, tuition fee caps and competition for teachers test their growth plans
Dubai, Sept 3, 2026: International school groups operating across the GCC are expanding their regional networks as the new academic year begins, thanks to rising demand for multi-curriculum private education and government plans to align schooling with future labour-market needs.
Cognita, Global Schools Foundation (GSF) and International Schools Partnership (ISP) alone run 23 schools across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, offering British, American, Indian and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula to a mix of expatriate and citizen families.
Regional footprints
Cognita’s first school in the region, Dasman Bilingual School in Kuwait, became part of the group in 2024. It expanded into Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar in 2025 through strategic partnerships, and now operates six schools across four countries, including King’s College Riyadh, Downe House Riyadh, Downe House Muscat, Cheltenham Muscat and King’s College Doha. “Together, these schools educate thousands of students and represent some of the most respected school brands in the region,” says Darren Gale, GCC Managing Director, Cognita Middle East.
GSF entered the GCC in 2014 with the launch of Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Abu Dhabi. It now operates six schools across the UAE and Saudi Arabia spanning four curriculum frameworks, including Glendale International School and Emirates American School (EAS) in Sharjah, One World International School (OWIS) in Riyadh, a second Riyadh campus, OWIS Al Jazeera, which opened in August 2026, and two GIIS campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that follow India’s CBSE curriculum, says Amol Vaidya, Deputy Chief Operating Officer – Middle East, Global Schools Foundation.
ISP, a global network of 120 schools across more than 26 countries founded in 2013, entered the Middle East in 2015 with its first acquisition in Qatar. It now operates 11 schools across the UAE and Qatar, six in Dubai, two in Abu Dhabi and three in Doha, including The English College, the Star International schools, Reach British School and Nibras International School, most of which joined the group as established, well-regarded schools. “Schools such as The English College, the Star International schools, Reach British School and Nibras International School reflect this successful buy-and-build approach,” says Kam Bhamra, Regional Managing Director, ISP Middle East.
