SABIS is a global

education management organization An education management organization (EMO) is a term of art describing a for-profit entity that manages schools. It provides a distinction from charter management organization which is a ''non-profit'' manager of charter schools. The terms are oft ...

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 has grown into a multinational network with schools in over 20 countries, including the UAE, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The organization is known for its proprietary curriculum, the SABIS Educational System, which emphasizes academic excellence, character development, and preparation for higher education. SABIS schools serve students from kindergarten through grade 12 and have produced notable alumni in various fields. The organization continues to expand, with recent developments including partnerships in emerging markets and the modernization of its flagship campuses.

History

The origins of SABIS trace back to 1886 with the founding of the International School of Choueifat in Choueifat, a village near

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, Lebanon. Initially established as a school for girls by Reverend Tanios Saad and Ms. Louisa Proctor, it later began admitting boys as well.

Expansion

International School of Choueifat - geograph

SABIS began expanding beyond Lebanon in the mid-1970s under the leadership of Alaa Kamal. The first international school opened 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, in 1976. Today, SABIS operates numerous schools across six emirates in the UAE, including The International Schools of Choueifat and SABIS International Schools. In 2019, SABIS partnered with Arada to establish a K–12 international school in Aljada, Sharjah’s largest lifestyle megaproject. The organization also runs schools in countries such as Bahrain, Brazil, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Kenya, Jordan, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Germany, Kurdistan, and the United States. Notably, SABIS operated a school in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, UK, which closed in 2019, and opened a school in Dreamland,

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

, Azerbaijan in 2015, the largest SABIS building to date. In Sub-Saharan Africa, SABIS collaborates with Africa Crest Education (ACE) Holdings. In Latin America, the organization entered the Brazilian market in 2018 with a $50 million investment plan. The SABIS International School Campinas – Costa Verde in Panama opened in September 2017. In the United States, SABIS operates six schools: five public charter schools in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, and one private school in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell in Massachusetts began operating in 2013. In November 2023, the flagship campus in Abu Dhabi was demolished for upgrades. The campus, operational since 1979, has produced notable alumni in both the UAE and international sectors. During the renovation, students are temporarily relocated to the Abu Dhabi Yas Island campus.

External links

Official website

References

{{Reflist Charter schools Educational institutions established in 1886 Companies based in Minnesota Charter schools in the United States Education companies of the United States Education reform Education management organizations Charter management organizations 1886 establishments in the Ottoman Empire