ABQ Al Imtiaz Private School

ABQ Education Group: An Established Foundation

Unlike many new private schools that launch without an established track record, ABQ Al Imtiaz Private School is backed by ABQ Education Group, an Omani educational organisation with over 59 years of experience running schools in the Sultanate of Oman. This heritage provides the new school with institutional credibility, experienced leadership, and a robust operational infrastructure from day one.

Accreditation Legacy

ABQ Education Group is notable for operating three schools that hold dual accreditation from both the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) — two of the most respected accrediting bodies in international education globally. While Al Imtiaz as a newly opened school has not yet independently achieved these accreditations, its affiliation with the ABQ Group signals the aspirational standard it is working towards.

Leadership

The school's inaugural principal, Hanane Feggadi, is an ABQ Group experienced educator, bringing institutional continuity and familiarity with the group's educational values and operational standards.

A Community of Learners

At its opening in 2023, the school enrolled students 'from all over the world,' according to Times of Oman, suggesting an internationally diverse student community from the very start. This diversity, combined with the bilingual English-Arabic curriculum, creates a rich multicultural learning environment within the Bawshar neighbourhood of Muscat.

Group-Wide Resources

Being part of ABQ Education Group gives Al Imtiaz students and families access to a wider community of practice. The group's teacher network of over 300 educators, its shared extracurricular programme, and its collective experience with Cambridge International and British curriculum frameworks all enrich the Al Imtiaz community beyond what its relatively small initial enrolment might suggest.

Founding and Background

ABQ Al Imtiaz Private School opened its doors in August 2023, becoming the first privately operated school under the banner of ABQ Education Group, one of Oman's most established educational organisations. ABQ has been active in Omani education for over 59 years and already operates three schools holding both CIS (Council of International Schools) and COBIS (Council of British International Schools) accreditations.

The decision to launch Al Imtiaz as a private school — distinct from the group's existing international schools — reflected a strategic intent to serve a wider cross-section of Muscat families, including both the local Omani community and the international expatriate population. The school welcomed approximately 150 students in its inaugural year, drawing pupils from across the world.

Name and Identity

The name 'Al Imtiaz' derives from the Arabic for 'unique, distinct, and excellent.' This name encapsulates the school's core philosophy: that every student possesses individual potential that deserves to be identified and cultivated. The school's founding principal, Hanane Feggadi, brought existing ABQ Group experience to the role, ensuring continuity with the group's established educational values.

Location

The school is situated on Bawshar Street in Muscat (postal area 102), a central residential and commercial district of the Omani capital, making it accessible to families living across greater Muscat.

Vision for Growth

At opening, the school offered provision from early years (Nursery/KG) through to secondary level, with FAQs on the school's official website indicating that secondary education would also be offered over time. The school thus represents ABQ's ambition to provide a full K–12 pathway under a single bilingual and international curriculum framework.

Curriculum Philosophy

At the heart of ABQ Al Imtiaz's educational model is a dual commitment: delivering a world-class international curriculum while simultaneously nurturing students' Arabic language proficiency and cultural identity. This is achieved through the Cambridge International curriculum framework — one of the world's most widely recognised and rigorous programmes — combined with what the school describes as an 'enhanced Arabic curriculum.'

For the youngest learners, the school adopts the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, a play-based, developmental approach widely used in British and international early childhood settings. This ensures that students are supported holistically — socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively — from the very earliest stage of their schooling.

Bilingual Identity

The school describes itself explicitly as a bilingual school, with English serving as the primary medium of instruction for Cambridge subjects and Arabic playing a prominent role across all year groups. This bilingual identity is not merely linguistic: it reflects the school's belief that students should be able to navigate both global and local contexts with confidence and fluency.

Holistic Education

The name 'Al Imtiaz' — meaning 'unique, distinct, and excellent' — signals the school's aspiration to treat every child as an individual. The ABQ Group's stated philosophy is to 'draw out the potential in every student,' suggesting a learner-centred rather than purely exam-driven approach. The availability of extracurricular clubs spanning science, arts, music, debate, and community service further underscores the school's commitment to whole-person development.

Class Structure

A notable structural feature of the school is its gender-differentiated class organisation from Grade 6 onwards, which aligns with common practice in Omani Islamic schooling traditions. Prior to Grade 6, classes are co-educational. This hybrid approach allows the school to be responsive to both international norms and local cultural expectations.

The ABQ Advantage

Being part of the ABQ Education Group means that Al Imtiaz students and teachers can draw on a network with decades of international school management experience in Oman. The group employs over 300 teachers across its schools, providing institutional depth that a standalone new school could not easily replicate.

Campus Overview

Situated on Bawshar Street in central Muscat, ABQ Al Imtiaz Private School occupies a purpose-equipped campus designed to support both academic rigour and extracurricular enrichment. Despite being a newly established school (opened 2023), the campus was fitted with a comprehensive range of facilities from the outset, signalling ABQ Group's commitment to providing a premium educational environment.

Academic Facilities

The campus includes a Science Laboratory for hands-on scientific enquiry, an IT Lab for digital learning, and a Reading Library that supports literacy development across all age groups. These facilities align directly with the Cambridge International curriculum's emphasis on investigative and research-based learning.

A dedicated Music Room and Art Room ensure that the creative arts are treated as core components of student development, not optional extras.

Sports and Physical Education

Physical education is well catered for, with an Indoor Sports Hall providing year-round covered space for physical activities. Outdoors, the campus features a Football Field and Basketball Court, supporting team sports and healthy competition. A Swimming Pool completes the sports offering, an impressive facility for a relatively new private day school in Muscat.

Outdoor play areas provide informal recreational space, particularly important for the school's youngest learners in the early years setting.

Health and Wellbeing

A Health Clinic on campus ensures that students' physical health needs can be addressed promptly during the school day, providing reassurance for parents. A Cafeteria is also available, providing meal options for students.

Extracurricular Life

ABQ Al Imtiaz students have access to the wider ABQ Group's extracurricular programme, which includes over 14 named clubs spanning sports, music, photography, book club, Holy Quran study, science, debating, art, drama, environmental awareness, digital design & animation, AI & augmented reality, Model United Nations, and a writers' club. This breadth of provision ensures that students can pursue passions well beyond the classroom.

Admissions Overview

As a newly established private school (opened 2023), ABQ Al Imtiaz Private School has positioned itself as an accessible yet academically purposeful institution. The school has not published formal selectivity criteria or acceptance rate data, suggesting that during its early growth phase admissions remain open and welcoming rather than highly competitive.

Fee Structure

Annual tuition fees are denominated in Omani Riyals (OMR) and are structured by grade level, ranging from OMR 1,900 for Nursery (KG1) up to OMR 3,200 for Grades 11–12. This progressive structure reflects the increasing resource intensity of Cambridge IGCSE and pre-university programmes. A one-time registration fee of OMR 250 applies at the point of application.

At current exchange rates, the tuition range represents a mid-tier private school offering in Muscat — above government school fees but below the highest-end international schools in the city.

Language Expectations

Given that instruction is primarily in English through the Cambridge International framework, families should expect that students will need a working level of English proficiency. No formal English test requirement has been published, but the Cambridge curriculum's language demands implicitly set a benchmark.

Who Is the School For?

The school welcomes both Omani national families and international expatriate families. The bilingual (English + Arabic) model makes it particularly well-suited to Omani families who wish their children to receive an internationally recognised qualification while maintaining strong Arabic literacy. For expatriate families, the Cambridge pathway provides a familiar and globally portable academic framework.

Application Process

Detailed admissions procedures are available via the school's official website. Families interested in enrolment are encouraged to contact the school directly at [email protected] or by telephone at +968 2264 1400.