Raha International School - Khalifa City Campus

The newer of the two Raha campuses. Opened 2020. Purpose-built and modern - parents talk about wide light-filled corridors, an 8-lane competition pool, double gym. If you've heard people rave about "Raha Gardens," this is the sleek younger sibling about 7 minutes away.

Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP). The senior school is still maturing - the first full Grade 12 cohort only arrived in September 2025. Worth knowing if you have an older child.

What people genuinely like: - Inclusion. This comes up repeatedly. Strong support for kids with additional learning needs, and a culture that lets quieter, self-directed children find their feet. - Teachers and pastoral feel. According to one parent, the staff "inspired my child's love of learning" - and that sentiment shows up consistently. - Location. Khalifa City sits between the islands and the mainland, and the school commute often runs against rush-hour traffic.

What to ask about on the tour: - Sports. Facilities are excellent, but the competitive sports culture hasn't caught up to the hardware yet. Around a third of parents flag this. If your child is a serious athlete, probe it. - IB consistency in the secondary years. Because the upper school is brand new, some older students have said teachers can feel "new to the IB system." Ask about IBDP staff experience and DP results once the first cohort sits exams. - Which campus suits you. Gardens is the established, slightly more village-feel original. Khalifa City is the modern build. Same ethos, different vibe. Visit both.

Inspection-wise the school landed "Good" overall in its first ADEK inspection, with "Very Good" in several areas - a strong opening result for a school still growing into itself.

Net: a credible, well-run, modern IB school with a kind reputation. Best fit for families who value inclusion, IB philosophy and modern facilities, and who are comfortable being part of a senior school that's still bedding in.

• ADEK awarded Good on the campus's first inspection in February 2024, with Governance, Staffing and Facilities rated Very Good.
• Inclusion is the headline strength. Parents call the inclusion department "excellent" and "hard to beat", with strong support flagged for ADHD and mild autism.
• Facilities are a clear draw. Students describe them as "top notch", with specialised hubs for science, art and design technology.
• Sports competitiveness is a recurring complaint. Around three in ten parents rate the sports offer as not competitive, despite Olympic-grade facilities.
• IB workload is flagged as overwhelming by older students, with concerns about teachers new to the system and inconsistent delivery.
• Arabic-medium attainment lags the English curriculum.
• Survey response rate is low and the campus is still maturing, so the parent dataset is thinner than at the Gardens campus.