ACS Doha International School

The Doha outpost of the London-based ACS group, on a large purpose-built campus in Al Kheesa. American and IB pathways, and the most expensive school in Qatar.

ACS first opened in Doha in 2011 and moved to its current Al Kheesa campus in August 2020. Around 1,070 students aged 3 to 18, IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma alongside an American high school diploma track. NEASC accredited.

Facilities are strong: indoor pool, sports hall, large libraries, well-equipped subject rooms. Many families speak warmly of the community feel, the diversity, and the welcoming early years. Recent ownership change has caused friction, with reports of experienced PYP teachers leaving and some long-standing families moving on. Fees of roughly 51,000 to 80,000 QAR put it at the top of the Doha market.

Good fit for diplomatic and corporate families wanting a full IB pathway and an American-leaning peer group, willing to pay a premium. Worth pressing on staff continuity in PYP at admissions stage.

• ACS Doha was sold to Artemis Education in February 2024 and the immediate fallout sits over almost every recent comment. Multiple teacher accounts describe mass dismissals, contract cancellations and salary cuts in the run-up to the 2024-25 school year, with one teacher saying their own contract was cancelled "a week before my flight back to Qatar."
• The teacher-facing picture under new ownership is broadly negative. Reports include around twenty-five staff departing, salary changes in the QR2,000 to QR9,000 range and removal of phones from classrooms. Several international-teacher posts advise candidates to look elsewhere.
• Counter-voices from inside the school exist. One staff member who joined under Artemis pushed back on what they called online "trash" without full context.
• Student and ex-student voice is candid and mixed. One current student said "half of the teachers sucked at teaching." Another ex-student going back to high school called the school's earlier teaching weak. Older threads from 2016-17 describe administration as indifferent to student wellbeing.
• Parent voice on independent trackers tilts strongly positive. One parent described it as a "wonderful school with fabulous teachers and state of the art facilities," another wrote "Best School in Doha!" Most positive reviews date from January and June 2024, immediately after the ownership change.
• Inspection-side context: ACS Doha received NEASC Commission on International Education accreditation following its 2025-26 inspection, the school's external good news under Artemis.
• Net read for incoming families: facilities and accreditation are real, the parent track record on aggregators is positive, but the staff disruption around the 2024 sale was significant and remains the single most cited issue. Treat continuity of teaching, especially in upper school, as the open question.