The International School of Choueifat – Lebanon is the mother school of the
SABIS
SABIS is a global education management organization headquartered in Lebanon, operating a network of private schools and charter schools worldwide. Founded in 1886 with the establishment of the International School of Choueifat in Lebanon, SABIS ...
group of schools. It was established in the village of
Choueifat
Choueifat (, also transliterated Shuwayfat) is one of the biggest and most important cities in southeast of Beirut in Lebanon. The city is a Druze enclave that lies on the eastern side of Beirut's airport. The local population of the city is made ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
in 1886 by Tanios Saad and Louisa Procter, an Irish woman. It was originally for girls only. In the 1890s Tanios Saad visited England to examine the British educational system. He led the school until his death in 1953.
The school was expanded and renovated under Charles Saad, who replaced Tanios. It opened its first overseas branch in
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...
,
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
in 1975. In 1983 the school had to relocate due to the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
The religious diversity of the ...
(but resumed its original location in 1991). Schools were opened in the UK in 1983 and the US in 1985.