The SABIS® PPP project in Kurdistan is based on the vision of His Excellency Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzany and his understanding of the importance of education in building the future of Kurdistan. Having successfully established the International School of Choueifat – Erbil, a private school, in 2006, SABIS® was selected by the Kurdistan Regional Government to implement a public-private partnership (PPP) project to bring the high-quality education to students on a broad basis.
On September 1, 2008, Fakhir Mergasori International School (FMIS) opened its doors to more than 300 children in Kindergarten through Grade 3, becoming the first SABIS® PPP school to open in Kurdistan. The school was named after the Kurdish martyr Fakhir Mergasori and solely serves the children of martyrs.
Following the success of FMIS and given the demand for high-quality education in the Duhok region, a second PPP school, the Sardam International School in Duhok was opened in 2009 and was followed by a third PPP school, the Sarwaran International School, that same year in Erbil.
In September 2012, four additional PPP schools, some in remote areas of the region, joined the SABIS® PPP network in Kurdistan. These include Kalar International School, Soran International School, Suleimaniah International School, and Zakho International School.
In October 2015, the KRG signed a 3-year renewal of its agreement with SABIS®, ensuring that students enrolled in all seven PPP schools can continue to benefit from a high-quality, private-standard education for students enrolled.