International Schools Group Dammam, was founded in 1985 in the small town of Rahima, and evolved as a result of merging of two smaller schools: the Rahima Academy SAIS, a school for children of Aramco expatriates living outside Najmah, and the English Model School which was run by private educators in the same town.
The new Rahima Academy began its operation in the fall of 1985 with 140 students and 14 staff members. Classes from kindergarten to grade eight were conducted in a rented 3500 sq.m. former laborers' camp. The early years of the new Rahima Academy were filled with challenges as parent volunteers and staff worked hand in hand for the improvement of the school facility. In spite of having limited resources, the school continued to provide quality education, which was further enriched by special programs such as the National Language course and physical education. Co-curricular and extracurricular activities were offered with the regular school program and staff underwent continuous Professional Development programs.
In April 1995, Rahima Academy moved to a new campus, with a brand new facility built through hard work and combined efforts of staff, parents, friends, and other organizations. The land was donated by ARAMCO, supported by the SAIS board, and fundraising activities by the school. The new school had 48 classrooms, a spacious library, computer and science labs, a multipurpose room, a large courtyard, playgrounds, and a track and field. Rahima Academy continued to grow, and became well established in the eastern province.
In 1998, due to unforeseen circumstances, Rahima Academy had to move from Rahima to a new facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia's 6th largest city and center of its oil industry. An ex-institutional building was renovated and converted into a school facility, which opened in January of the following year. The change in location brought about positive changes, as bigger and improved facilities enabled the school to accommodate the increasing student population. High School and Pre-School education were added to the school's offering and student enrollment reached and exceeded 1000 pupils.
In the 2002-03 academic year, the Ministry of Education formally changed the name Rahima Academy to International Schools Group - Dammam. For two years, staff and administrators worked hard reviewing, assessing, and reflecting on the school's programs and services with the goal of receiving accreditation. On December 1, 2004 ISG Dammam received its certificate of accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, U.S.A.
With accreditation came increased responsibility and challenges. A five-year action plan was designed by the school as part of its commitment to improving overall student performance and organizational effectiveness.
The next big step for ISG Dammam was the building of a new campus, offering world-class facilities to accommodate its expanding student body. In the meanwhile, ISG Dammam underwent a second accreditation cycle in 2010 to 2017. The school focused on Literacy growth goals for seven years.
Due to the building of the Riyadh Superhighway, ISG Dammam expedited to move yet again. We secured a place in Al Nour to build a new 25,000 sq. meter complex purposefully build for 1,400 students.
The new, state of the art facility geared to 21st century learning opened its doors in August 2015. From small and humble beginnings, the school continues to grow from strength to strength, standing proudly at the forefront of American education in Saudi Arabia.
ISG Dammam is on its fourth cycle of accreditation from December 2017 focusing on Literacy Growth, Learner Agency, Compassion and System Coherence.