The Guide
Sat, 16 May 2026

Cities / Kuwait City / Lycee Francais de Koweit

Lycee Francais de Koweit

LFK is Kuwait's French national school, founded in 1989 and affiliated with AEFE - the network of 480 French schools abroad overseen by the French Ministry of Education. From Maternelle through Terminale, around 1,200 students follow the French national curriculum…


Curriculum
French
Fees, annual
KWD 2–4k
Ages
3 to 18
Pupils
~1,200
Founded
1989

Kuwait's only AEFE-partnered French school, founded in 1989 by Mona Al Khaled and based in Salmiya. The default choice for French-speaking families on Kuwait postings.

The school runs the full French national curriculum from maternelle through terminale and the baccalauréat, accredited by the Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale and partnered with AEFE since 2010. Around 1,200 to 1,500 students, more than 40 nationalities, mostly French and Francophone Arab.

It is the obvious pick for families coming in on a French contract or wanting their child to stay inside the French system for a return to France or another AEFE post. Curriculum continuity with French state schools is the main draw. Fees sit in the lower bracket compared with the British and American schools in Kuwait, partly because the French state subsidises AEFE costs. The Salmiya campus is older and compact; some families flag the building age and limited outdoor space as the trade-off. For non-Francophone families this is not the school. For French speakers it is the only serious option in Kuwait.


Fee Age Type Amount
Maternelle 3 Annual KWD 1,924
Primaire 6 Annual KWD 2,973
Secondaire 1er cycle (college) 11 Annual KWD 3,238
Secondaire 2e cycle (lycee) 15 Annual KWD 3,523
Textbooks (approx. Maternelle) One-time KWD 52
Registration fee (non-refundable) One-time KWD 100

  • Several parents flag that elementary teachers are mostly Lebanese rather than France-trained, and elementary reviews are mixed.
  • One parent said the director's manner felt dismissive, and that admissions favour French-passport families.
  • The Salmiya building has not been refurbished in over twenty years; parents describe it as tired, with non-air-conditioned playgrounds during 50-degree summer heat.
  • One parent said students arriving early have to wait outside before 7:20am because no supervision is provided.
  • Behaviour at the school comes up repeatedly as a concern.
  • Counterweight: one parent described French language outcomes as spectacular, and others report friends with no significant complaints.

Head of school

Olivier Gautier

Olivier Gautier is an experienced educational leader who has served as the Proviseur (Head of School) of the Lycée Français de Koweït since September 2024. With over ten years of experience in the French international school network (AEFE), he previously held principal positions at the Collège Protestant Français in Beirut, Lebanon, and the Lycée Français Léon l’Africain in Casablanca, Morocco. Mr. Gautier is also highly involved in professional associations, serving as the founding president of the Amicale des Directions des Établissements Français de l'Etranger (AMDEFE) and president of the Association des personnels et directions des établissements à sections internationales (APDESI). He is dedicated to promoting educational excellence and innovative pedagogical strategies within the international francophone network.

Accreditations

  • Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger 01
  • KUWAIT_MOE_PRIVATE 02

  • Baccalaureat Pass Rate 100%

Salmiya, P.O. Box 9450, Kuwait

School website