Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan presides over the opening ceremony of One World International School Riyadh

Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan launched the Riyadh campus of One World International School - the fastest growing international school from Singapore under the aegis of Global Schools Foundation. 

Dr. Balakrishnan launched the over 22,796 square meter campus in a momentous ceremony in the presence of special guests Ambassador Wong Chow Ming, Mr. Mazen Ahmed Tammar, Sr Advisor to CEO of RCRC, GSF chairman and co-founder Mr. Atul Temurnikar and others.

The honorable guests visited the learning spaces of OWIS and spent time with the students. The Minister also attended a virtual session with the students of OWIS Singapore during which they interacted on various topics like educational partnership between Riyadh and Singapore and the role of technology in future oriented learning. GSF chairman Mr. Temurnikar took Dr. Vivian through the journey and vision of OWIS. 

The Minister stated, “In this time of great transformation all over the world including in Saudi Arabia, it is essential that we prepare our children to have open minds, open hearts and exposure to diversity. I think this is where the Global Schools Foundation focuses on ensuring that every child is exposed to the diversity that the world represents.”

OWIS Riyadh is an IB PYP candidate school following an American curriculum based on Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The school ensures a state-of-the-art infrastructure with a focus on child-centered teaching methodology.

It is reputed for its multicultural environment, where students take a ‘state of the heart’ approach to learning, in a values-driven program underpinned by Kindness. The first independent, Singapore-headquartered school is part of GSF, a foundation which is recognized as the world's most awarded network of schools by the World Book of Records. GSF has received more than 400 international awards for excellence in academics and for best practices in education. 

“We are attracting prestigious international schools that cater to all sections of the population and contributing to the transformational journey of Riyadh to become one of the best global cities in terms of quality of life for residents and expatriates. RCRC welcomes Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Dr. Balakrishnan and is confident Singapore’s expertise in international education will help enhance this sector in Riyadh”, Mr. Mazen stated.

Also present at the ceremony were RCRC delegates Ms. Hala Halawani, Mr. Ziad Bin Hassan, Mr. Khaled Sabban, Ms. Maryam Alasmar, Dr. Michael Klees, and Mr. Jorge Urteaga. The GSF team included Mr. Amol Vaidya, Senior Director of Operations, and Founding Principal of OWIS Riyadh Ms. Shannon Pipes.