Developer Arada has awarded the contract for the construction of the first school within its Aljada development to Al Zamalek General Contracting. The developer said construction work on Sabis International School has already started and will be completed in June – in time for the start of the 2021-2022 school year, starting in September.

Al Zamalek General Contracting is said to be an established contractor whose portfolio includes the construction of two other Sabis Network schools – The International Schools of Choueifat in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.

According to a statement, Aljada is a member of the global Sabis Network, which also includes the International Schools of Choueifat around the world.

“A world-class education is just one of the opportunities that Aljada offers to residents in this transformational community, and our partnership with Sabis is proof of this. Work is progressing rapidly at a number of different locations on the Aljada site, and this contract award is evidence of our determination to push ahead with all the assets that will be required to deliver a fully integrated destination,” said Arada chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi.

Phase One of the school project involves the construction of a kindergarten to Grade 3 (K-3) school. The second and third phases, which will add grade levels every year, will bring the school up to K-12 level with capacity for 4,000 students and will be completed in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the statement explained.

With a total value of $60m, the school will be the first of three based at Aljada, and will prepare students for success in both US- and UK-based external exams, Arada said. It will be located on a 61,000sqm plot on the south-eastern corner of the project, adjacent to the East Village residential community.