Waad Academy

A large, well-resourced bilingual school in north Jeddah's Al-Sawari district, founded by Princess Adila bint Abdullah and offering both Cambridge and American tracks across two campuses. Strong IGCSE results and a deliberate emphasis on Saudi heritage alongside English-medium academics.

Waad runs primary and upper schools across two campuses on grounds covering around 120,000 square meters. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level pathway is the lead, with strong reported pass rates and named A-Level outcomes in maths and sciences. The school is accredited by Cambridge, AdvancED Saudi Arabia, and the Ministry of Education, and operates as part of the broader Waad education group.

Parents who like it praise the facilities, breadth of subject choice, and the calmer parent-teacher relationship compared with some larger Jeddah schools. The criticism that recurs is administrative, with families reporting slow communication and inconsistency in some teaching teams. Waad is a strong fit for Saudi families wanting a serious Arabic-Islamic core delivered alongside Cambridge academics, and somewhat less obvious for non-Arabic-speaking expats who would feel more at home at KAUST or the British and American international schools.

• Staff signal leans warm on day-to-day culture, with teachers describing friendly colleagues, a respectful working environment, and salaries paid on time.
• The cautions are operational: comments mention friendship-based promotions, weak HR support, poor retention, uneven systems, and the campus being far from central Jeddah.