January 28, 2020, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), has officially inaugurated the new St. Mary’s Private High School in Ras Al Khaimah, the first Catholic school in the Emirate.  

 

After cutting the ceremonial ribbon, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi said that RAKEZ Academic Zone is keen to attract more educational institutions as part of Ras Al Khaimah’s goal of achieving internationally recognized standards of education. He added: “The opening of this distinguished school in Ras Al Khaimah is a great achievement for the Emirate as it is another step on the road towards His Highness Sheikh Saud’s vision of an inclusive and robust education system that caters for every segment of society and instills the values of tolerance, respect and a strong work ethic in its students.”  

 

“Building schools and other educational institutions is an investment in our children and the future, as well as being a key pillar of Ras Al Khaimah’s broader strategy for its prosperous future,” added Sheikh Ahmed. 

 

The British curriculum school, which has capacity for 1,800 students and will operate from the Foundation Stage (FS) to A-level.

 

Located in the Khalifa bin Zayed City area of Ras Al Khaimah, the school opened in September 2019 and is already welcoming more than 300 students a day to its state-of-the-art campus. 

 

The opening was attended by Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, who first held discussions about the school with His Highness Sheikh Saud. The Bishop said: “I wish to express my appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Saud, who invited the Church to build a school in Ras Al Khaimah and generously provided the land, and to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, who provided a wide range of support during the construction of the school.”  

 

“We wanted to build a school in Ras Al Khaimah to serve the growing number of families and students here due to the rapid development of the Emirate. This St. Mary’s School, like all of our schools in the UAE, will serve students of many nationalities, cultures and religions.”

St. Mary’s Private High School, Ras Al Khaimah has already won praise in its first year, taking the Best New Start-up Award at RAKEZ’s Business Excellence Awards. 

It is St. Mary’s Group of Schools’ 6th campus in the UAE, having already established schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Fujairah. 

 

The Ras Al Khaimah school is an advanced educational institution, equipped with a range of leading technologies to enhance teaching and learning. It also boasts an array of leisure, recreation and sports facilities, such as a football pitch and basketball courts.

 

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