Vietnam has become a focal point. Rugby School is opening a Hanoi campus in September 2026 and Uppingham a school in Hung Yen in August, with Ardingly College establishing itself in Lao Cai and Cranleigh also expanding. The market behind them grew roughly 24% to 359 international schools over five years, with student numbers up about 28% to nearly 146,000.
Saudi Arabia is entering one of the largest phases of school expansion in its history, with new international schools opening for the 2026-27 year in Riyadh and beyond — among them One World International School in Al Jazeera and EtonHouse in the Granada district. British curriculum schools dominate the pipeline, though American, IB and bilingual models are all growing.
Local demand in the driving seat
The openings track a wider shift in who these schools are for. Growth is powered less by expatriate postings than by local families seeking an English-medium, internationally benchmarked education without sending their children abroad — which is changing how new campuses are designed, staffed and sold.
Sources
Vietnam.vn — New international high school for Ho Chi Minh City · Education Saudi — New schools opening in Saudi Arabia for 2026-27 · WhichSchoolAdvisor — New schools opening in Saudi Arabia
