Cities / Jeddah / Jeddah Knowledge International School
Jeddah Knowledge International School
Saudi Arabia's first continuum IB school, founded in 1996 in the Al Salamah district. Around 2,000 students, all three IB programmes plus the American Diploma, with CIS and NEASC accreditation.
In brief
Saudi Arabia's first continuum IB school, founded in 1996 in the Al Salamah district. Around 2,000 students, all three IB programmes plus the American Diploma, with CIS and NEASC accreditation.
JKS is one of the better-known names on the Jeddah international circuit, with families choosing it for the IB pathway in a city where most peers run American or British. Fees climb from SAR 22,800 in early years to SAR 69,000 in the senior school. Head of School Yasmin Suliman has been a long-standing presence.
Parents speak well of the curriculum quality, the facilities, and the active extracurricular and sports programme. The school is gender-segregated above primary, and longer-running expat threads describe a meaningful difference in the academic culture between the boys' and girls' sections, with the girls' section generally seen as the stronger academic environment. Teachers stay long enough to know cohorts well. Best fit for academically motivated families wanting an IB exit and willing to navigate the gender-segregated upper school.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers | 2 | SAR 22,800 |
| KG 1 | 3 | SAR 30,450 |
| KG 2 | 4 | SAR 35,100 |
| KG 3 | 5 | SAR 38,550 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | SAR 51,300 |
| Grades 2 - 3 | 7 | SAR 53,700 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | SAR 55,800 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | SAR 56,850 |
| Grades 6 - 7 | 11 | SAR 58,500 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | SAR 59,550 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | SAR 62,280 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | SAR 63,000 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | SAR 68,100 |
| Grade 12 | 17 | SAR 69,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Exam Fee | SAR 575 | |
| Registration Fee (KG2) | SAR 3,000 | |
| Registration Fee (KG3 and above) | SAR 5,750 |
Reviews
- Staff reviews sit across roughly 50 entries, with parent-facing testimonials more positive than teacher-facing ones.
- Teachers describe a tightly controlled communication culture and patchy support around health and maternity leave. One teacher said the school terminated colleagues "within the week of asking too many questions".
- A separate ex-staff member alleges retaliation against staff who raised concerns during IB and CIS visits, and names JKIS specifically among schools to avoid for work.
- Some long-tenured teachers post warmly about the facilities and IB/American programmes. The split between long-term insiders and recent leavers is wide.
- Parents describe academic progress and engaged community events. Staff turnover is the dominant negative signal in independent accounts.
Positives
- Academic programme. Parents and long-tenured teachers cite the IB and American Diploma streams, technology in classrooms, and student progress.
- Community and parent engagement. Parents praise events, accessibility of staff, and a sense of belonging.
Considerations
- Staff turnover and management culture. Multiple teacher posts describe controlled communication, retaliation after raising concerns, and abrupt terminations. Glassdoor average sits below 3.
- Reputation among Jeddah peers. Local posters rank JKIS behind JPGS, BISJ and AISJ but ahead of mid-tier options. One described it as "OK".
Leadership
Yasmin Suliman
I am immensely proud to be part of the prestigious JKS community; a community whose vision is to develop holistic and internationally minded children into lifelong learners; to inculcate in them the love to learn; to develop their personalities individually; to teach them to explore new knowledge in the wider world; and to encourage them to value and respect all cultures whilst remaining rooted to their very own cultural identity.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02