Doha: Global Schools Management (GSM), which operates over 165 schools and educates more than 45,000 students worldwide in the United States of America, Middle East, United Kingdom, and Africa, has announced its partnership with Aplomado Investments and Fenton Whelan Real Estate to introduce a super-premium international school on Qetaifan Island North, Doha. The school will offer both UK and IB pathways and accommodate up to 1,600 students, with plans to open its doors in September 2026.
Qetaifan Island North, situated off Lusail City, Qatar, is envisioned to become Qatar’s iconic future destination. Spanning approximately 1.4 million sqm, the island features waterfronts, pedestrian-friendly streets, living gardens, luxurious hotels, and entertainment attractions, making it a modern community inspired by the rich culture and nature of the region.
The island signifies a new way of life and symbolizes Qatar's vision for the future. Recently, the island's new waterpark, Meryal, had a soft opening to the public, along with the Rixos Premium Qetaifan Island North Hotel. Qetaifan Projects Co., wholly owned by Katara Hospitality, owns and develops the island.
Neighboring districts on the mainland near Qetaifan Island North are witnessing a significant rise in residents and commercial entities relocating from the heart of Doha city. GSM's new international school will cater to this trend with its premium offering.
The new international school, situated on a 30,245 sqm plot, will set the benchmark for world-class facilities in Doha. It will feature a 700-seat auditorium linked with the school’s Performing Art Hub, a 50-meter Olympic size swimming pool, watersports accessible directly from the school to the canal, food technology and hospitality programs linked with industries on Qetaifan Island North, and various community facilities accessible on weekends. Additionally, the school will seek LEED accreditation as it is committed to energy conservation, reduced water usage, and minimizing its carbon footprint.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 outlines an ambitious long-term vision for economic, environmental, and human capital development in the country.
Commenting on the launch, Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Head of Business Development at Qetaifan Projects, stated, "We are delighted to announce the development of a comprehensive educational institution that covers all educational stages, from kindergarten to high school. This initiative is part of a series of steps aimed at developing an integrated community that caters to the needs of our valued investors and property owners."
Jeremy Bussey, CEO of Aplomado Investments, stated: “Through our partnership with GSM, we strongly believe that we are positioned to contribute to the realization of Qatar’s vision with our plans to establish a high-quality, premium international school on Qetaifan Island.”
The announcement underscores GSM's expansion strategy in the GCC region. Speaking on the launch, Mr. Ron Packard, founder of GSM said, “Our school will become the destination school of Doha. With our track record of academic excellence, and knowledge of the region, we see this school as an opportunity to shape the next generation of Qataris, and expatriates who will attend the school.”
Professor Ralph Tabberer, the former Director-General of the UK education sector and now Vice Chairman of GSM Middle East, is set to chair the school and ensure the highest standards of British education are embedded in the curriculum. Commenting on the launch, Professor Tabberer stated, “We look forward to establishing a leading British curriculum school in Doha that challenges young people to step out of their comfort zone at every opportunity. Our approach and ethos will enable young people to develop the character traits required to be successful in a dynamic world that demands agility and an entrepreneurial mindset.”
Safanad and GSM announced an initial investment of US$200 million in the region’s education sector at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 6 in October 2022, shortly after acquiring BBD Education, a premier provider of professional education services and management for the growing schools’ market in the GCC. The Group recently acquired Crown Private School in Ajman, a UK curriculum school that has seen healthy growth of students since the COVID-19 pandemic.
GSM owns the International School of Berne, the premium international school in Switzerland that offers the IB Curriculum. The school’s graduates attend the very best Russell Group and Ivy League universities around the world each year, in addition to leading universities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The Group is set to bring this expertise to Doha to educate the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Shaun Robison, CEO of GSM Middle East, added, “In our experience, master developments attract high net worth families who want the very best for their children, and who seek like-minded families who share their values. Our school will blur the boundaries of learning as we blend industry specialists with highly qualified teachers and collaborate with our partners on Qetaifan Island so that our children get real-world experiences as part of the curriculum.”
This institution has no connection with any private or public education establishment within UAE and will not directly issue any certificate, degree or diploma of its own. All registrations studies and examinations, certifications etc shall be directly conducted by the concerned universities. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research takes no responsibility for the programs offered by the institution or for their equivalence.
