Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: First School Management (FSM), the school advisory initiative by GEMS Education, signed its first intellectual property agreement with Spark Education Platform (SEP), a leading Saudi school operator, to launch the GEMS brand in selected schools in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
As part of this partnership, FSM will provide a focused suite of services under a licensing arrangement to support SEP’s operatorship of the GEMS-branded schools, the company announced in a recent press release.
These services will ensure that the new schools adhere to the high standards synonymous with GEMS Education, safeguarding its long-standing global reputation.
The framework agreement between FSM and SEP reflects a shared commitment to excellence in education, marking the beginning of GEMS’ broader efforts to bring First School Management expertise to schools worldwide.
SEP is one of the fastest-growing K-12 regional school operators owned by the Saudi Education Fund (SEF), which is managed by EFG Hermes.
Ahmed Wahby, CEO of SEP, stated that the partnership with FSM and GEMS Education marks an exciting milestone in SEP’s mission to redefine educational excellence in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and beyond.
“By leveraging our expertise and GEMS Education’s global reputation, we are committed to delivering world-class learning experiences that empower students, inspire innovation, and elevate educational standards across the region,” Wahby added.
Commenting on the partnership, Karim Moussa, Co-CEO of EFG Hermes, said: “After our great success story in Egypt, I am honored to expand our partnership with First School Management into Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as key GCC markets with significant demand for new high-quality K-12 education capacities.”
SEP operates four schools with a capacity surpassing 10,000 students and aspires to grow to over 20 schools with 20,000 enrolled students spreading across Saudi Arabia and the GCC over the coming five years.
Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of GEMS Education and the Varkey Foundation, emphasized the company’s vision to make world-class education accessible to as many students as possible. “The launch of First School Management is a natural extension of this commitment, and this partnership with Spark Education Platform is the first of many,” he said.
FSM mobilizes multi-disciplinary teams of experts who provide hands-on support to schools, helping them navigate challenges and achieve operational success.