Al Sahwa Schools

In Brief

Al Sahwa is the natural shortlist for bilingual Omani families or internationally-minded parents who want genuine bilingual education - Arabic and English throughout - alongside full IB accreditation and CIS accreditation. Fees are meaningfully lower than ABA at most year groups, which makes it worth comparing carefully if the bilingual model suits your child.

Al Sahwa occupies a distinct position in the Muscat school market: it is the only CIS-accredited, fully IB-authorised bilingual school in the city, founded in 1993 on land donated by the late HM Sultan Qaboos under the Royal Office and Royal Oman Police Pension Funds. That institutional backing gives it a stability unusual among Muscat private schools. The school now serves over 1,100 students from 31 nationalities across a co-educational campus in Shatti Al Qurum, and holds PYP, MYP, and Diploma authorisation - with the PYP re-authorised in 2023. It also runs the Thanawiya Amma (Omani national diploma) alongside the IB Diploma, which is relevant for families planning long-term residence in Oman.

The Shatti Al Qurum location is among the most convenient in Muscat for families in the main residential belt - Al Mouj, Qurum, and Azaiba are all within reasonable reach. Fees for 2025-2026 run from OMR 2,250 in KG1 to OMR 4,750 in Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma), which is significantly cheaper than ABA at equivalent year groups. The IB programme fees are charged separately and on top of tuition (OMR 35-205 depending on the programme level). Google reviews describe strong student-teacher relationships and a community feel; the school's own parent association is active. One older ISR teacher review made negative comments about management culture - we cannot verify or date those remarks accurately, so flag them as worth exploring on a visit.

Al Sahwa is segregated by gender at the secondary level, which reflects Omani cultural tradition. This is worth being aware of if you are coming from a fully co-educational system, particularly with older children. Fees do not publish an all-inclusive figure - the IB programme fees, Chromebook requirement from Grade 4 (OMR 185), and breakfast plan (OMR 200) add meaningfully to the headline tuition. The school does not publish exam result data openly, which makes independent benchmarking difficult.