Voices from the sector

What were the drivers behind the inauguration of GEMS Wellington school?

GEMS has been providing outstanding education in the Middle East for over 50 years, so it made sense to bring that outstanding provision into Qatar. Since 2014 we have opened two schools in Qatar: the GEMS American Academy Qatar and GEMS Wellington School Qatar. They each have around 2,500 student capacity, welcoming both Qatar’s local and resident families, as well as expat students. Both schools are accredited exam board centers, allowing students to sit exams for university entrance under the American or British systems. We are fortunate to have a very multicultural educational community with more than 70 nationalities represented, including expats and Qataris.

How does GEMS philosophy and educational values adapt to this Qatari culture?

For the last five years, we have closely worked with the Ministry of Education and the broader educational community. Currently, thanks to our continuous efforts and the openness of the Qatari community, there have been more opportunities than challenges. We are privileged to work in Qatar and recognize that this brings certain expectations. We work very closely with the Ministry of Education and our Education liaison, who provides us with advice and guidance; as such we feel very supported. We fully embrace the philosophy that what is important to Qatar and its people, is important to us.