Al-Yasmin International School

A K-12 Indian-curriculum school in Al-Malaz that follows the CBSE syllabus and serves the Indian expat community in Riyadh.

Established in 1999 and led by Dr Salil Hassan, Al Yasmin runs the CBSE programme through to Grade 12 and has historically posted strong board results, including a 100 per cent pass rate at the Grade 12 AISSCE in 2019. Fees of roughly SAR 7,700 to SAR 11,500 sit at the affordable end of the Riyadh market.

Families who like the school point to dedicated teachers, plenty of activity beyond the classroom and steady academic progress. Critical voices are blunter. Staffing has been thin in recent years, with subjects going months without a permanent teacher, and several flag a sharp fee increase from 2024. A few also feel the boys' section gets more attention than the girls'. Most families weigh it against the other Indian-curriculum schools in the city rather than the international-stream set.

• The pool is mostly Indian expat families on the CBSE track and they describe a school that delivers consistently in primary but has wobbled in secondary.
• One parent flagged a "significant lapse in educational standards" with subjects going months without a teacher.
• Several parents return to the same line: "one of the best schools in Riyadh", crediting supportive teachers, holistic development and a co-curricular load that runs alongside academics.
• Staffing capacity is a recurring complaint: one parent wrote that the school "isn't one of the best", citing too few staff, an inexperienced bench and "no coordination between teachers".
• Pandemic handling drew praise for restarting offline classes early and keeping students on track; criticism focused on online interaction quality with younger pupils.
• Fee increases and back-office friction (single-cashier fee queues, hour-long waits) come up alongside the praise for academics.