Cities / Doha / Qatar Academy Doha
Qatar Academy Doha
The flagship school of Qatar Foundation, founded in 1995 and now around 1,900 students in Education City. Full IB continuum from PYP through MYP to Diploma, with NEASC and CIS accreditation alongside QNSA.
In brief
The flagship school of Qatar Foundation, founded in 1995 and now around 1,900 students in Education City. Full IB continuum from PYP through MYP to Diploma, with NEASC and CIS accreditation alongside QNSA.
Over 80 percent of students are Qatari, which makes this distinct from the more expat-heavy international schools. Fees sit at the upper end of the Doha market. The diploma cohort runs through Qatar Academy High School with multiple pathways depending on student interests. Mehdi Benchaabane leads the school.
Parents who fit the profile praise the academic ambition, the IB continuum and the proximity to the Education City university campuses. The harder feedback is about a culture where some staff describe parental and student expectations as demanding, and about pressure on grades. Best fit for Qatari families and for expat families with strong English language support at home who want a settled IB route to international universities. Less obvious for newly arrived English-only expat families who would be in the minority.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| PS3 - PS4 (Early Education) | 2 | QAR 46,033 |
| KG - Grade 5 | 5 | QAR 52,656 |
| Grade 6 - Grade 10 | 11 | QAR 65,967 |
| Grade 11 - Grade 12 | 16 | QAR 74,556 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (non-refundable) | QAR 500 | |
| Educational resources fee (per year) | QAR 1,000 | |
| Technology fee (per year) | QAR 2,000 | |
| Registration fee (one-time) | QAR 3,000 |
Reviews
Qatar Foundation's flagship school, set inside Education City alongside the QF universities and cultural campus. Full IB continuum from PYP through Diploma, the first school in Qatar authorised for all three. Around 1,900 pupils across early years to Grade 12. Big-campus feel: Olympic 50m pool, multiple gyms, four pitches, science and design labs, two libraries. Admissions are squeezed by QF priority rules, expat families often sit in a wait pool, and the no-bus service shapes the daily logistics.
Positives
- Qatar Foundation flagship in Education City. Sits inside the Education City campus alongside QF's branch universities, libraries and cultural venues. The proximity feeds into university pathways for senior students.
- Full IB continuum. PYP, MYP and the Diploma all under one roof. QAD was the first school in Qatar to run the full IB programme and the through-school structure means children rarely need to move for stage transitions.
- Facilities. Olympic-size 50m pool, multiple gyms, four football pitches, science and design labs, two libraries, music and arts studios. One of the better-equipped campuses in Doha.
- Recognitions and university outcomes. Sends graduates to Education City universities and overseas. Pupils picked up gold and platinum medals at the 2026 Qatar Education Excellence Awards.
Considerations
- Admissions priority. Qatar Foundation runs a priority order across its 11-school admissions office. Qatari families and QF-affiliated staff sit at the front, expat applicants often hold in a wait pool. Parents describe the Doha campus as the hardest QF school to get into, with the newer Sidra and Msheireb campuses easier.
- Nationality balance in selection. Selection works to nationality quotas as well as academic entrance criteria. Staff have flagged that Qatari admits can land irrespective of test results.
- No school bus. Transport is on the family. Education City sits west of central Doha and the school day runs roughly 7am to 2pm, so the school run drives where you live.
- Staff conditions and turnover risk. Teachers contract with Qatar Foundation rather than the campus, which means they can be redeployed across QF's network. Staff also describe pay not tracking Doha's cost of living and changes to medical cover. None of this hits classrooms directly, though it sits behind the staffing churn parents notice.
Leadership
Mehdi Benchaabane
Mehdi Benchaabane is the Director of Qatar Academy Doha and Executive Director of Qatar Foundation IB Schools. He has over a decade of leadership experience within Qatar Foundation, previously serving as Director of Education City High School and the Education Development Institute. He has extensively worked in IB schools across Egypt and Canada and served as an IB Deputy Chief Examiner and workshop leader. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master's in International Education from the University of Bath, where he is also pursuing a Doctorate in Education focused on student behavior policy.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
- QATAR_MOEHE 03
Academic results
- IB DP 62 of 87 diploma students passed (71%) with an average score not specified, but the highest score was 37/45 in May 2022
- 47 students were awarded a bilingual diploma. MYP Personal Project school average 4.88 vs world average 4.23 (2022). 2023 exam results were not available in the latest published annual report (July 2023 release for May 2023 exams was pending).