Abu Dhabi: One of the oldest British schools in the UAE, The British School- Al Khubairat, is holding a fundraising campaign to collect about Dh100 million for a new three-storey campus building.
The 40-year-old school will be knocking down one of its blocks and replacing it with a 9,000 square metre building. The planned new primary block - the Ruby Building, will replace and extend the primary facilities at the school, which date back to 1980 when the school first moved to its current site.
The new building will accommodate 450 children (from KG1 to year two) and will include 18 new classrooms, a library, two Information and Communication Technology suites, 12 music rooms, a drama studio, a sports hall, a 25-metre swimming pool and new outdoor sports areas.
"The school has funded previous projects entirely. However, with rising operational expenses and very high construction costs, schools in Abu Dhabi are facing greater challenges in funding projects as ambitious as this one. This is the first time that the British School has launched a fundraising appeal for a building project," Paul Coackley, Principal of The British School-Al Khubairat told Gulf News.
Around 90 business leaders, community members and school representatives, who are expected to help raise funds for the school, were among the attendees at the British Embassy reception hosted by British Ambassador Edward Oakden.
"The Ruby Building appeal represents an outstanding opportunity to be part of Al Khubairat's continuing success," said the ambassador.
