King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), a special economic zone on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, has awarded a SR49-million ($13.3 million) contract to IHCC, a design-and-build turnkey solution provider, to develop the third phase of the internationally accredited school The World Academy (TWA).

The new facilities will propel TWA to the forefront of education in Saudi Arabia, said a statement from KAEC.

“The World Academy is a standout educational facility that places KAEC at the center of human capital development for Vision 2030,” remarked Fahd Al Rasheed, the CEO and managing director of KAEC Group.

“The school is an essential pillar of the community, providing children with a first-class education and parents with a unique level of involvement and participation in student life,” he added.

The new extensions will add additional classrooms to increase the student capacity of the school from 750 to 2,000 students by September 2017. Currently the number of students is 533, said the statement from KAEC.

The current number of classrooms is 31 plus three labs for chemistry, biology, and design and technology, it added.

The new development will provide a wide array of innovative facilities to equip students with essential life skills for the future, including an entrepreneurship centre, a college for grades 9 to 12 and a robotics lab for the school’s design and technology centre.

Also there will be amphitheatres for large group events, marketplaces providing classrooms with a communal meeting place and a forum to exchange ideas and experiences, dedicated facilities to enhance cultural awareness, and an achievement center to help students prepare for key examinations and aptitude tests such as SATs.

An important feature is the widespread use of natural light which has been shown to enhance productivity and learning.

The interiors have been designed by Innocad, an internationally renowned architect and designer headquartered in Graz, Austria.

On the contract win, IHCC chief executive Sultan Batterjee said: "IHCC has always been a believer and a partner in KAEC, it’s purpose, vision and strategy. Innovative projects like TWA school are the birth of an inspired new generation."

IHCC, a specialist in health care, education and mixed use projects, has had a major presence in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region for more than 21 years, he added.-TradeArabia News Service