Arab News | King’s College Riyadh SEDRA campus set to open in 2027, enhancing education quality

RIYADH: The new King’s College Riyadh campus in the capital’s SEDRA community is scheduled to open in 2027, Group Chief Development Officer at ROSHN Group Osama Qabani, and Managing Director GCC at Cognita Darren Gale announced.

The project has surpassed 56 percent in construction progress in less than a year since work began, with strong early interest in enrollment from families in the SEDRA community.

The development forms part of ROSHN Group’s flagship SEDRA project, which is designed around a model of integrated communities that puts residents’ needs at the heart of the neighborhood. SEDRA offers convenient walkable access to schools, green spaces, mosques, retail and entertainment facilities, supporting a healthy, integrated lifestyle that enhances quality of life for the entire family.

Qabani and Gale told Arab News that the steps followed ROSHN and Cognita’s signing of a memorandum of understanding at Cityscape Global 2025. The MOU was subsequently formalized into an agreement, with construction getting underway this year, reflecting the two organizations’ commitment to enhancing quality of life and providing world-class education within integrated residential communities, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

Spanning more than 20,000 square meters, the new campus will provide a comprehensive educational experience supported by state-of-the-art facilities and modern technologies. Its facilities will include dedicated creative labs, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, professional sports facilities and pavilions, Qabani noted.

“The new campus will offer a dynamic blend of academic excellence and future-ready learning environments across a built area of more than 20,000 square meters, serving SEDRA families and the Riyadh community, and is scheduled to open in 2027,” Qabani stated.

He continued: “The confidence we are seeing reflects the overall demand for high-quality educational facilities, with construction progress surpassing 56 percent in less than a year. Most of the building’s structure is now complete, while indoor fit-out is ongoing, with detailed finishes set to begin soon.

“This momentum is the physical representation of our vision to enhance quality of life in alignment with Vision 2030, based on our belief that an integrated community requires premium social infrastructure.”

Gale pointed to Cognita’s existing presence in Saudi Arabia through King’s College Riyadh in Diriyah as a foundation for the partnership with ROSHN.

“We were already established in Saudi Arabia through King’s College Riyadh in Diriyah. With ROSHN, there was a natural alignment — they create integrated communities where people can live, belong and thrive, while we create the conditions for schools and young people to thrive,” he explained.

Turning to Cognita’s educational approach in the Kingdom, Gale emphasized that the ambition extends beyond replicating a conventional British school model.

“Our ambition is not simply to replicate a British school in Saudi Arabia. It is to create an exceptional British-international education, authentically rooted in Saudi culture, language and identity, while preparing students to succeed both locally and internationally,”  Gale said.

Gale also underscored the role of educators and leaders in delivering that ambition.

“Great schools are built by great people. We will therefore focus on attracting exceptional educators and leaders who understand the local context and share our values. Our focus is currently on our existing schools in Riyadh and on delivering King’s College Riyadh’s new campus in SEDRA exceptionally well, while we remain interested in opportunities for further growth in Saudi Arabia, one of our key markets,” Gale concluded.