Our History
The Chairman, Mr. Saleh Al Mekhlef, an entrepreneur, innovator, and visionary founded Kuwait Bilingual School in Al Jahra, Kuwait.
He wanted to deliver an international bilingual education of very good quality to Kuwait’s 2nd largest city. To provide new, broader educational opportunities of good quality with a value-based education, to the families in the North-Al Jahra. This gave birth to KBS In Jahra.
KBS is a private independent not-for-profit school, whose Foundation was laid in March 1998 and completed in 5 months. The school started in September 1998 with just a 45-student Nursery population with a single KG 1 and KG 2 class.
Enrollment grew to a K-12 enrollment with more than 2000 students.
The school grew and became an IB World School called KBS2 and a traditional curriculum school called, KBS1.
The school achieved a strong reputation as a safe, disciplined environment with high standards for academics and sub-curricular programs.
In September 2015 the Pre-K to grade 1 students moved to the new KBS2 campus in Saad Al Abdullah City. The remainder of the school moved the following year.
KBS1 since 2020 has nurtured a commitment and dedication of staff and students that value Global Citizenship with a Bilingual Arabic/English language skill development and an appreciation for the culture of Kuwait.
Mr. Saleh Al Mekhlef
The Founder Father of KBS
The Founding Father of KBS
In 1998, the late Saleh Al Mekhlef – entrepreneur, innovator, and visionary – founded Kuwait Bilingual School in his hometown of Al Jahra, Kuwait. Driven by a passion for delivering quality, international, bilingual education to Kuwait’s second-largest city.
The foundations of KBS were laid in March 1998 and completed in August of the same year. The school opened its doors in September 1998 with a single Nursery, KG1, and KG2 class of 45 scholars. Since then, enrollment has grown steadily, with the school now serving 2,500 scholars in a K-12 International Baccalaureate World School, accredited by the Middle States Association.
Under Mr. Saleh’s leadership, KBS earned a strong reputation as a safe, caring, and disciplined environment with high standards in academics, sports, arts, and extracurricular programs.
His legacy lives on through the commitment and dedication of KBS’s international staff and scholars, who uphold the values of global citizenship, cultural appreciation, and bilingual Arabic-English language proficiency. Mr. Saleh Al Mekhlef’s vision and passion have left an indelible mark on Kuwait Bilingual School and the entire Al Jahra community. He will always be remembered with deep respect and gratitude in the hearts of the entire KBS community.