At a glance
- CBSE schools in Riyadh
- 10 on the SARAS register (checked 6 Oct 2026)
- Board classes
- Class 10 (Secondary) and Class 12 (Senior Secondary)
- Class 10 exams
- Two a year since 2026: first compulsory, second optional
- School week
- Sunday to Thursday, Riyadh time UTC+3
Who oversees CBSE schools in Riyadh
A CBSE school in Riyadh answers to two bodies. CBSE in New Delhi affiliates the school, sets the syllabus (mostly NCERT textbooks) and runs the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. The Saudi Ministry of Education licenses the school to operate in the Kingdom, as it does every private and international school, and expects national identity subjects to be taught: Arabic, Islamic studies and Saudi history and geography, with Saudi students taught them in Arabic. That is why timetables at Indian schools in Riyadh carry Arabic lessons alongside the CBSE subjects.
CBSE itself now spans nearly 32,000 schools in India and 26 other countries, according to its September 2026 press release on registration for the 2027 board exams. Saudi Arabia sits in CBSE's Foreign Schools group, and the SARAS register shows each school's affiliation number, level and principal, which is the quickest way to check a school's status.
CBSE schools in Riyadh on the SARAS register
Taken from the CBSE SARAS register on 6 October 2026. Senior Secondary schools run to Class 12; Secondary schools stop at Class 10.
| School | CBSE affiliation no. | Level |
|---|---|---|
| International Indian School Riyadh | 5730003 | Senior Secondary |
| Daratassalam International Delhi Public School, Riyadh | 5730015 | Senior Secondary |
| New Middle East International School | 5730005 | Senior Secondary |
| International Indian Public School | 5730010 | Senior Secondary |
| Al Yasmin International School | 5730011 | Senior Secondary |
| Al Alia International Indian School (Malaz) | 5730013 | Senior Secondary |
| Yara International School (Dhahirah) | 5730018 | Senior Secondary |
| Alif International School (Shifa) | 5730040 | Secondary |
| Dunes International School | 6630288 | Secondary |
Modern International School Riyadh (5730029) is also listed. Affiliation details change, so check SARAS before relying on a level.
Board exams for Riyadh students
Riyadh students do not travel to India for boards. CBSE runs the papers in Saudi Arabia on the same date sheet as India, at schools approved as exam centres, and the school's exams officer tells families which centre a candidate is allotted. Because India is two and a half hours ahead of Riyadh, papers that start at 10:30 in India start at 8:00 in Riyadh, so exam mornings are early.
Since 2026 Class 10 students sit a compulsory first board exam in February and March and may take an optional second exam in May to improve up to three subjects. Class 12 keeps a single main exam from mid-February. At the time of writing (6 October 2026) CBSE had started collecting the List of Candidates for the 2027 exams but had not published the 2027 date sheet, so check cbse.gov.in for it before planning revision.
How the Riyadh school year and CBSE year line up
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| April | The CBSE academic session starts; Class 10 and 12 syllabi begin |
| July to August | Saudi summer heat; many families travel, so lessons often pause or move online |
| September to December | Half-yearly exams and syllabus completion for Classes 10 and 12 |
| January | Pre-board exams in most schools; practical exams for Class 12 |
| February to March | Main CBSE board exams (Class 10 first exam, Class 12) |
| May | Optional second Class 10 board exam |
The pattern is typical rather than fixed. Each school publishes its own calendar inside the Ministry of Education's framework.
How online lessons fit a Riyadh CBSE timetable
Riyadh runs on UTC+3 all year with no daylight saving, and the school week is Sunday to Thursday. Most CBSE schools in the city finish in the early afternoon, so a 60-minute lesson between 4pm and 8pm Riyadh time leaves room for school homework, and nobody sits in Riyadh traffic to get to it. Friday and Saturday slots suit Class 12 students who want a longer revision run before the week starts.
In lessons, a tutor works from the NCERT textbook and the latest CBSE sample papers. For Class 10 that usually means Standard or Basic Maths, Science with its three strands, and answer-writing practice for case-based and assertion-reason questions. For Class 12 it means Physics derivations, Chemistry reaction mechanisms, Maths calculus and the competency-based questions that now carry a large share of marks. The tutor marks written answers the way CBSE marking schemes do, and you see each lesson and the homework set in your parent account.
Start before the pre-boards
Pre-board results in January often decide how calm February is. Starting one lesson a week in September or October gives a tutor time to close gaps chapter by chapter instead of cramming the whole syllabus after the pre-boards.
Common questions
How many CBSE schools are there in Riyadh?
The CBSE SARAS register listed ten affiliated schools in Riyadh on 6 October 2026, eight at Senior Secondary level (to Class 12) and two at Secondary level (to Class 10). Nationally, the register shows 41 CBSE schools in Saudi Arabia, in cities from Jeddah and Dammam to Buraidah and Tabuk.
Where do Riyadh students sit CBSE board exams?
In Riyadh, at a CBSE school approved as an exam centre, often their own school. CBSE uses one date sheet for India and abroad, so start times in Riyadh are two and a half hours earlier than in India.
Can my child take the Class 10 board exam twice?
Yes. From 2026 the first Class 10 board exam is compulsory and the second, in May, is optional for students who want to improve their scores in up to three subjects. Class 12 does not have the two-exam system.
How much do CBSE lessons with LiveTutor cost?
$15 a lesson for any class and subject, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons a week billed monthly, for example $120 a month for two lessons a week. The first lesson is a free trial, one per household.
Do your tutors teach in Hindi or Malayalam?
Lessons are taught in English, which is the medium of instruction at Riyadh's CBSE schools. If you would like a tutor who also speaks another language, mention it when you book and we will tell you honestly whether we have one.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.
- CBSE SARAS register of affiliated schools (search: Foreign Schools, Saudi Arabia)
- CBSE press release, 29 September 2026: LOC for Board Examinations 2027
- News on AIR: CBSE Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026
- Arab News: international schools must teach Arabic, Islamic studies and Saudi history and geography
- Saudi Ministry of Education: two semesters approved for 1447 and 1448 (Arabic)
- timeanddate: Riyadh time zone (AST, UTC+3, no daylight saving)