Cities / Sharjah / SABIS International School Aljada (SIS-Aljada)
SABIS International School Aljada (SIS-Aljada)
Founded as part of Arada's massive Aljada development in Sharjah, the school serves the growing community of 20,000 residents across this 24 million square foot mixed use project.
In brief
SABIS International School Aljada opened in 2021 in Arada's Aljada development in Sharjah and now has around 1,200 pupils aged four to eighteen. It follows the SABIS network's own curriculum, with routes to IGCSE, A Level, SAT and AP, and holds MSA-CESS and NCPSA accreditation. Annual fees run from AED 26,000 in pre-school to AED 44,000 in Grade 11.
Parents praise a campus that is impressive for a school this young, and the SABIS online platform that lets them follow their child's performance in real time; one parent called that the deciding factor. Critics question the reliance on continuous testing and the limited direct contact with teachers, and little is published about wellbeing or wider development. One local parent recommended it for the primary years rather than for older pupils.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| KG1 | 3 | AED 26,000 |
| PS | 3 | AED 26,000 |
| KG2 | 4 | AED 28,000 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | AED 30,000 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | AED 32,000 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | AED 32,000 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | AED 34,000 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | AED 34,000 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | AED 36,000 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | AED 36,000 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | AED 38,000 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | AED 40,000 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | AED 42,000 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | AED 44,000 |
Reviews
- Opened in 2021 in the Aljada district of Sharjah, run on the SABIS proprietary curriculum with paths to IGCSE, A Level, SAT and AP.
- Independent reviews on aggregator sites are positive and skew towards facilities and the digital platform. One parent said the campus is genuinely impressive for a school this young, and that being able to log in and see exactly how their son is performing was the deciding factor.
- WhichSchoolAdvisor questions the network's reliance on continuous testing and the limited direct teacher contact, and flags that there is little public material on holistic development or wellbeing at this campus.
- Reddit signal is thin and tends to recommend it as a KS1 to KS2 option in Sharjah rather than for older year groups, on the assumption that strong primary teachers are in post.
- Network-level concerns from teachers and former parents, including heavy testing, a fast pace and patchy support for students who do not keep up in maths or English, sit alongside the SIS-Aljada material and shape how the school is read in Sharjah threads.
Positives
- New campus and facilities. Parents on aggregator sites praise the campus as impressive for a school in its early years.
- SABIS digital platform. Real-time visibility of academic performance is repeatedly cited as a deciding factor.
Considerations
- Continuous testing model. WhichSchoolAdvisor questions whether on-going testing is the most effective form of assessment.
- Wellbeing and inclusion. Limited public material on holistic development, and SEN identification has been flagged as needing strengthening.
- Sharjah shortlist position. forum threads place it on KS1 to KS2 shortlists rather than as a senior-school first choice.
Leadership
Linda O'Brien
Linda O'Brien is the Acting Director at SABIS International School - Aljada since September 2023, following her role as Deputy Director there from August 2022 to December 2023. She previously served as Academic Quality Controller at Sabis International School Yas Island from June 2014 to June 2022.
Accreditations
- Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools 01
- National Council for Private School Accreditation 02