London, 28th May, 2024: Aplomado Investments & Fenton Whelan Real Estate (AFW) have announced a partnership with GSM Middle East to launch a super-premium international school on Qetaifan Island North, Qatar. The school, set to open in September 2026, will offer both the UK and IB pathways and cater for up to 1600 students.
GSM, which owns over 165 schools and educates over 45,000 students in the United Kingdom, Middle East, United States of America and Africa, is thrilled to bring its expertise to Qatar. The school will be located on Qetaifan Island North, a 1.4 million sqm island off Lusail City, designed to be Qatar’s future iconic destination.
Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Head of Business Development at Qetaifan Projects, expressed his excitement for the partnership and the impact it will have on the community. “This initiative is part of a series of steps aimed at developing an integrated community that caters to the needs of our valued investors and property owners,” he said.
Jeremy Bussey, CEO of Aplomado Investments, shared his vision for the school, stating, “Through our partnership with GSM, we strongly believe that we are positioned to contribute towards the realization of Qatar’s vision with our plans to establish a high-quality, premium international school on Qetaifan Island.”
The school, set on a 30,245 sqm plot, will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a 700-seat auditorium, a 50-meter Olympic size swimming pool, and a performing arts hub. It will also offer a range of community facilities accessible on weekends.
In line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, the school will seek LEED accreditation and prioritize energy conservation, reduced water usage, and a minimized carbon footprint.
Professor Ralph Tabberer, Vice Chairman of GSM Middle East and former Director General of the UK education sector, will Chair the school and ensure the highest standards of British education are embedded in the curriculum. “We look forward to establishing a leading British curriculum school in Doha that challenges young people to step out of their comfort zone at every opportunity,” he said.
GSM’s expansion strategy in the GCC region is underscored by this partnership. Mr. Ron Packard, founder of GSM, stated, “Our school will become the destination school of Doha. With our track record of academic excellence and knowledge of the region, we see this school as an opportunity to shape the next generation of Qataris and expatriates who will attend the school.”
Shaun Robison, CEO of GSM Middle East, added, “Master developments attract high net worth families who want the very best for their children. Our school will blur the boundaries of learning as we blend industry specialists with highly qualified teachers and collaborate with our partners on Qetaifan Island to provide real-world experiences as part of the curriculum.”
The announcement comes after GSM announced an initial investment of US$200 million in the region’s education sector at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 6 in October 2022, shortly after acquiring BBD Education, a premier provider of professional education services and management for the growing schools’ market in the GCC.
GSM also owns the International School of Berne, the premium international school in Switzerland that offers the IB Curriculum. The school’s graduates attend top universities around the world each year, and the Group is set to bring this expertise to Doha to educate the next generation of innovators and leaders.
For Media Inquiries: For additional details regarding this press release, please contact Pr@aplomadoinvest.com
About GSM: GSM holds a vision of providing world-class education across the MENA region. Dedicated to preparing young minds for the future, GSM strives for excellence in every educational endeavor. www.gsm.education
About Aplomado Investments: At Aplomado Investments, innovation is at the forefront of our investments. We are dedicated to developing cutting-edge projects with promising futures and original opportunities. Each of our projects supports the expansion of important industries while also yielding profitable results. www.aplomadoinvest.com
About Ron Packard – Chairman of GSM: Ron Packard is the CEO and Founder of GSM. He is a well-known educator, entrepreneur and visionary, as well as the author of the highly regarded and reviewed book Education Transformation. Ron was previously the long-time CEO and Founder of K12 Inc. He oversaw the growth of K12 from an idea to almost one billion in revenue, making it one of the largest education companies in the world. During his tenure, revenue compounded at near 80%. Before K12, Ron was the Vice President of Knowledge Universe and CEO of Knowledge Schools, one of the nation’s largest early childhood education companies. He was also instrumental in the successful investments in Learn
