MY SCHOOL, MY CITY
The first article in a new series looking at where we teach comes from Saudi Arabia. Almira Sirbayeva reports from Brooke House College.
A changing city
When people ask what it is like to live in Saudi Arabia, the answer is rarely simple. Working in Riyadh over the past two years has given me a front-row view of a city, and an education system, in rapid transition.
What strikes me most is not only the scale of development, but the speed at which change happens. Feedback here is gathered, processed, and acted upon. Whether it is accessing government services, navigating digital platforms, or managing everyday tasks, improvements are visible and tangible. There is a sense that systems are responsive, and that progress is not theoretical but lived.
I still remember returning from a short holiday and noticing that several shops near my gym, closed the week before, had opened in my absence. It may seem like a small detail, but it captures something essential about Riyadh: things move quickly, and momentum is growing. For teachers considering the Kingdom, this sense of forward motion can be reassuring. You feel part of a society that is actively shaping its future.
Education
From an educational perspective, Saudi Arabia is undergoing significant change. International education is expanding rapidly, driven not only by the arrival of expatriate families but increasingly by Saudi families, who are globally minded and values-driven. Education is closely aligned with the country’s broader development goals, with growing emphasis on adaptability, skills, and long-term student development rather than exam results alone.
For teachers, this has reshaped the professional landscape. International schools in Riyadh are no longer peripheral; they are becoming an established and respected part of the educational ecosystem. British education remains attractive for its structure, academic rigour, and international continuity, but there is also a clear expectation that schools operate with cultural awareness and respect for the local context.
Daily life
Daily life for teachers in Riyadh is often more balanced and comfortable than many expect. Most live in residential compounds, particularly those with families. Compounds offer built-in communities, shared facilities such as gyms and swimming pools, and a relatively easy transition into life in the city. Others choose apartment living, often later, when they want greater independence and feel more confident navigating Riyadh. Both options are common, and moving between them is not unusual.
Work-life balance is shaped as much by school culture as by the city itself. Riyadh is safe, practical, and increasingly social. Cafés, gyms, cultural events, and easy travel across the Gulf make it possible to maintain a full life outside school. The city quietly challenges many preconceptions, particularly for those new to the region.
International school communities
Working in a Saudi international school is in many ways a typical international school experience and what stood out at Brooke House College Riyadh for me was the tone: kindness, professionalism, and a genuine sense of support. From onboarding through to everyday interactions, what has impressed me is the emphasis on the care for staff as well as students.
Family values are important here and this is reflected in the school community. Students take pride in their cultural identity, and this is treated not as something to manage, but as something to respect and, like other good international schools in the Gulf, an understanding of local values working alongside (in our case) a British curriculum is a combination that shapes the school’s direction and daily practice.
Establishing a new school
Like many new schools in the GCC area, Brooke House College Riyadh is at an important stage of its development. As the school expands over the coming years, the plan is not simply to grow, but to build a sustainable and thoughtful learning environment. There is also a deliberate move away from narrow, exam-driven definitions of success and towards a broader understanding of progress, one that includes emotional wellbeing, confidence, and individual development alongside academic outcomes.
It will be for others to judge us, but what we are hoping to be known as a school that values substance over branding and of course for teacher quality, great classroom practice, and a secure environment in which children are supported by teachers who will come to know them well. This is of course in a long tradition of British and British international schools, in which collaboration is encouraged and teachers can grow professionally. In a new school like ours they will also have an opportunity to contribute to something new, rather than to stepping into a finished product.
New school, changing city
Seen through the lens of someone living and working in Riyadh, Brooke House College Riyadh fits naturally into the city’s wider story. Both are evolving, ambitious, and increasingly confident in their identity. For teachers considering a move to Saudi Arabia, the combination of a rapidly changing city and a school focused (idealistically, perhaps!), on values-led education makes Riyadh not just a viable option, but perhaps, for many, a compelling one.
FEATURE IMAGE: by ekrem osmanoglu on Unsplash
Support Images: With kind permission from Brooke House College Riyadh and AzmanJaka on iStock
