FROM 2003
From crafting the right education for our children to a global minded international school
In 2003 when Dr Mahmoud Khalid Almsafir, an Iraqi diplomat, and his family first arrived to Malaysia, him and his wife Datin Amani Majid Altaha looked for schools that would deliver high quality education to their children.
Unfamiliar with Bahasa at that time, they sent their kids to Arabic expatriate schools. After their two kids had spent several years of primary and secondary education in expatriate schools in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Mahmoud and his wife realized that expatriate schools at that time did not provide university qualifying education.
In order to join globally renowned universities, students from expatriate schools were required to enroll in one year preparatory foundation courses.
This is Where We Started...
IN 2007
Therefore in early 2007 Dr Mahmoud and his friend the late Dr Yassin Yahya Yassin set out to establish a school that would provide affordable high quality and university qualifying education in English to their and other Arab expatriate families’ children. Dr Mahmoud and Dr Yassin held manifold meetings either in their then home of Menara Polo over Arabic tea with their wives or at the nearby Dunkin Donuts branch.
Dr Mahmoud and Dr Yassin were soon joined by Captain Ibrahim Muhamady and Dr Abdulsaheb Saleh Abdulsaheb who at that time were also trying to find the right education for their school aged children. The four founders looked for suitable premises in Kuala Lumpur and found the first school premises in Jalan Damai in mid 2007. The then time campus measured 1.700m2. Thanks to Datin Amani, with the children in mind, the premises were equipped to serve as a school where students feel home.
Combining Western style education (IGCSE) with the community-focused Arabic values to foster a global-minded understanding of the young generation, Alnoor International School was inaugurated in July 2007.
In Jalan Damai, the first batch of 70 students from 12 different nationalities started their education journey from Preschool 1 until IG 1 (level 10) at AIS in 2007. Already in 2008, AIS offered all levels up to IG2 (level 11).
IN 2010
In 2010 AIS reached a memorable milestone when the school was recognized as an official Cambridge Assessment Center. From then on, anyone wanting to obtain an international education certificate could turn to AIS to take an official IGCSE examination and proove the attainment of the Level 9 Checkpoint.
IN 2011
In 2011 when AIS started to outgrow its premises in Jalan Damai, Dr Mahmoud and his wife found a hidden gem in Jalan Bellamy, right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The new premises, brimming with green and located in quiet and peaceful Bukit Petaling, measuring 1,3 acres, came with full facilities including a swimming pool and sports field. Thanks to the investment of Mr Najeeb Zaidane the school could secure these unique premises.
IN 2013
IS moved from Jalan Damai to Jalan Bellamy in 2011 and the new premises already accommodated 300 students in 2013.
In the same year of 2013, the expansion continued to the neighboring premise, that now allowed the school to offer education to up to 600 students.
IN 2014
In 2014 to complement the existing Cambridge Assessment Center, AIS added a Cambridge Assessment Center for Primary allowing anyone to prove the attainment of the Level 6 Checkpoint. At this point Alnoor International School was renamed Alnoor International Schools to reflect the extended offering.
IN 2016
In 2016 AIS acquired its own transportation fleet consisting of 3 school buses and 7 school vans. From then on, students and parents could count on a reliable and safe transportation service.
IN 2019
In 2019 the student body counted 46 different nationalities across the two campuses in Jalan Bellamy.
From the beginning the founders emphasized high quality standard education alongside modern means of teaching all of which in an environment that fosters intercultural understanding. This emphasis is highlighted by the divers student body and modern smartboards that were introduced as early as 2015.
FROM 2020 TILL 2022
During the years of 2020-2022 when the world was adjusting to COVID, AIS rapidly established hybrid learning, combining physical and digital teaching.