New ownership of Kent College a first for Aldar in Dubai. Kent joins Cranleigh Bahrain in Hat Track of Big Brand UK Founded Schools for Aldar with Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

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New ownership of Kent College a first for Aldar in Dubai. Kent joins Cranleigh Bahrain in Hat Track of Big Brand UK Founded Schools for Aldar with Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

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Photograph of Kent College Dubai following its acquisition by Aldar in 2023

Aldar has confirmed the opening of its first school in Dubai with the acquisition of the premium Tier 1 British curriculum Kent College Dubai. You can read our review of Kent College Dubai here.

Kent College, established in 2016, enjoys very strong links with its home school, Kent College (Canterbury), in the United Kingdom. One of Dubai’s top British curriculum schools, after its second inspection Kent College was ranked “Good with Very Good features” by the KHDA, the Dubai Government’s school’s regulator, and is ranked “Outstanding” by British Schools Overseas (BSO).

Significant investment is now expected to follow – Aldar has already demonstrated its capacity to create beyond-outstanding schools with its flagship Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, its first UK founded school. You can read our review of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi here. Aldar told us:

“Aldar Education plans to further enhance the quality of education in Kent College Dubai […] by improving the facilities and infrastructure, as well as providing comprehensive professional development opportunities for educators and staff.

“Moreover, [Kent College Dubai] is set to benefit from leveraging Aldar Education’s proven track record in achieving academic excellence, its in-depth sector knowledge, and access to a wide network of schools.”

Aldar is the largest education operator in the capital which, as well as owning Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, operates:

seven own brand Aldar Academies(The Pearl Academy (Primary), Al Muna Academy(Primary), Al Ain Academy (All-through British curriculum), Al Yasmina Academy (All-through British curriculum), West Yas Academy (All-through US (Massachusetts) curriculum), Al Mamoura British Academy(All-girls British curriculum all-through) and Al Bateen World Academy(British-IB blended curriculum);
US curriculum Charter Schools in conjunction with the Government of Abu Dhabi (learn more here);
all four Adnoc Schools (Sas Al Nakhl Campus, Ruwais Campus, Madinat Zayed Campus, and Ghayathi Campus); and,
Al Shohub Private School.

The announcement of the acquisition of Kent College was followed by further confirmation of the opening by Aldar of a second Cranleigh School in Bahrain (Cranleigh Bahrain), its first school outside the Emirates, to open in September 2024, and acquisition of the US curriculum Virginia International Private School in Abu Dhabi.

The acquisition of Kent College is the latest in an extraordinary series of Aldar investments in the region:

	SCHOOL	TOTAL CAPACITY	CURRICULA	STATUS
AED 350MN 2023 INVESTMENT	Kent College Dubai	2,300	British	Operational
	Virginia International Private School	1,800	American	Operational
	Cranleigh Bahrain	2,100	British	Opening Sept-24
AED 1 BN 2022 INVESTMENT	Al Shohub Private School	1,200	British	Operational
	Yasmina British Academy	4,400	British	Phase 1 – Operational
	Yasmina British Academy	4,400	British	Phase 2 – Opening Sept-24
	Cranleigh Pre-prep Abu Dhabi	800	British	Opening Jan-24
	Noya British School	2,300	British	Opening Sept-24
	Saadiyat British Academy	2,600	British	Opening Sept-25

Pictured: Jassem Saleh Busaibe, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Investment

Jassem Saleh Busaibe, Chief Executive Officer at Aldar Investment, said:

“This investment not only demonstrates our commitment to transformational growth but also our ability to successfully deliver on building scale and enhancing asset and geographical diversification across our platform.

“We made our first entry to Dubai earlier this year, which was a milestone moment for us, and this investment represents another significant step forward as we continue to forge ahead with our expansion plans in the region.

“Through building on our established and growing foothold in the education sector, we aim to ensure that more families can benefit from the quality, innovative education we offer in our schools.”

Pictured: Sahar Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Education

Sahar Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Education, summarised:

“Our vision at Aldar Education is to be more than just a leading education provider. We aim to create a vibrant and dynamic environment where every student flourishes and develops a lifelong passion for learning.

“Through this expansion, we are enhancing our ability to have a positive impact on students across the UAE and the wider region, providing them with the optimal environment and relevant tools to unlock their full potential and nurture their talents.

“As we continue to scale our platform, we look forward to bringing our best-in-class education platform to more families across the region.”