British International School Riyadh

What the school is

Seven campuses and the Al Waha transition

BISR opened as the Riyadh Continental School in September 1979, supported by the British Embassy, the Saudi British Bank and Al Hollandi Bank. It initially taught expatriate children aged 4–13. Renamed in March 1981, it moved to Rawdah in 1982 and Al Hamra in 1995. GCSE provision began in 2002, and the sixth form opened in 2004 with a visit from the then Prince Charles.

The Diplomatic Quarter campus opened in September 2020 and expanded by adding year groups. Al Waha opened in August 2025 with 1,764 students on a 50,000 m² site, following a reported SAR 57 million investment in furnishings, equipment and site improvements. The board report describes Al Hamra’s planned renovation for primary provision. The other campuses are Al Saqr in Al Majma’ah, Tabuk, Taif and Al Sharq in Riyadh, serving BAE Systems and Ministry of Defence families.

Al Waha offers GCSE and A-level pathways, while the DQ campus offers the International Middle Years Curriculum, IGCSEs and the IB Diploma. IB Diploma authorisation dates from July 2022. Board reporting also describes Al Hamra’s A-level and BTEC provision alongside plans for its transition to primary use. Because these descriptions span a campus reorganisation, obtain the year-group and qualification arrangements for your entry year before choosing a campus.

Academics in practice

Accreditation and inspection history

BISR reports CIS accreditation and inspections under the British Schools Overseas framework. The 2022 Al Hamra inspection judged it Good with excellent features; a separate inspection described the BAE primary schools as Very Good with excellent features. In June 2025, BISR announced Outstanding outcomes for Al Saqr, Al Sharq, Tabuk and Taif. These findings apply to the named campuses and inspection dates, not automatically to every BISR campus today.

The 2022 Al Hamra report recorded almost 1,400 pupils and described frequent family moves, including departures for UK secondary schools. Its upper secondary cohorts were smaller than the lower school. This is historical context rather than a current enrolment breakdown. When reviewing recent GCSE, A-level or IB results, look at the number of candidates as well as percentages.

BISR is governed by a Board of Governors. WhichSchoolAdvisor describes appointed representation from the British Embassy and founding banks. The school’s history explains these institutional links, but families should assess teaching, support and community life at the campus their child would attend.

Admissions and cost

Tuition, joining charges and deposits

The published 2026–27 annual tuition schedule including VAT is SAR 50,568 for Foundation 1, SAR 68,489 for Foundation 2, SAR 71,154 for Years 1–2 and SAR 78,414 for Years 3–6. Secondary tuition is SAR 86,134 for Years 7–9, SAR 104,457 for Years 10–11 and SAR 111,172 for Years 12–13. This is approximately 3% above the 2025–26 schedule. The fee page distinguishes VAT treatment for Saudi families. External GCSE and A-level examination charges are additional and passed through at cost.

For applicable city-campus admissions, listed charges are SAR 575 for the application, SAR 1,150 for assessment, SAR 11,500 for registration and SAR 11,500 for capital development: SAR 24,725 in total. Application and registration fees are non-refundable. A refundable SAR 5,000 seat deposit and SAR 1,500 resource deposit bring the initial amount to SAR 31,225 where all apply; the resource deposit applies to the eldest child only. BAE-campus charges differ, and the capital fee also applies to transfers from BAE schools to other BISR campuses. Registration is charged again after an absence of three clear terms. Sibling discounts are SAR 1,000 per term for the third child and SAR 1,500 for the fourth and subsequent children.

A published admissions summary describes age-based placement using birthdays from 1 September to 31 August and says pupils transferring from UK schools may not skip a year. Recruitment sources report waiting lists and priority for siblings and British passport holders, but these are not confirmed current admissions rules.

The family experience

Campus geography and the daily reality

Campus allocation affects the school run. Al Hamra and Al Waha are in a different part of Riyadh from the Diplomatic Quarter campus. Al Sharq is also in Riyadh, while Al Saqr, Tabuk and Taif serve other locations. The board report maps residential compounds against campuses. Use the address of your allocated campus to test morning and afternoon journeys before signing a lease.