Dwight School to Open New School in Cairo in Partnership with Al-Futtaim Education Foundation

The newly renovated, state-of-the-art campus marks Dwight's introduction to Africa and further strengthens their presence in the MENA region, following the success of Dwight School Dubai.

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dwight-Franklin global network is proud to announce the opening of Dwight School Cairo, in partnership with Al-Futtaim Education Foundation, with doors set to open in September 2026. Dwight School Cairo represents an important first for the network — its first school on the African continent.

Dwight School Cairo will bring Dwight's distinctive globally connected and future-focused education philosophy to families in Egypt for the first time. Centering on personalized learning and "igniting the spark of genius in every child," the school has been thoughtfully developed and modeled after the success of other Dwight Schools around the world.

"For over five decades, I've witnessed how education transforms lives when it is personal, purposeful, and deeply human," says Stephen Spahn, Chancellor of the Dwight Schools. "We are proud to partner with Al-Futtaim Education Foundation to bring a world-class education to Egypt. This new school continues our family's legacy of building bridges across cultures and empowering students to make a difference in the world."

By honoring local traditions in Cairo while embracing global perspectives, Dwight aims to create an educational experience that is both deeply rooted and boldly forward-looking in Cairo, a city unlike any other: a cradle of civilization, a crossroads of knowledge, culture, and creativity, and a place where history and innovation have always coexisted. Egypt's rich intellectual heritage, cultural depth, and spirit of resilience will allow Dwight School Cairo to shine as a powerful part of the global network.

Located in Cairo Festival City, the campus is purposely designed around how children learn best: through exploration, creativity, collaboration, and movement. Flexible classrooms, breakout learning areas, dedicated maker spaces, performing arts facilities, age-appropriate libraries, and indoor and outdoor sports spaces have been thoughtfully designed to support both academic excellence and student well-being.

Dwight School Cairo will open with classes from Pre-K to grade 5 in its first year, expanding into higher grades in the years that follow. The founding campus will be led by Tom Ferguson, an experienced educator and current Head of Dwight School Seoul, ensuring alignment with Dwight's global standards, culture, and educational philosophy.

As part of the Dwight network, Cairo students will benefit from international collaboration, shared learning experiences, cross-campus initiatives, and meaningful cultural exchange with peers around the world. With Cairo joining the network, the global dialogue that defines Dwight is further expanded, connecting students from New York to London, Seoul, Shanghai, Dubai, Hanoi, and now Cairo, along with Dwight's "campus in the cloud" (Dwight Global Online) and Franklin School in Jersey City, USA.

"The network of Dwight-Franklin Schools has always stood for innovation and connection, uniting students, educators, and families across continents in a shared pursuit of excellence," says Vice Chancellor Dr. Blake Spahn. "With Cairo joining our global network, we are creating new pathways for collaboration and cultural exchange across our campuses."

Find more information at dwightcairo.org.

Interested families can make an admissions inquiry by visiting the site or calling +201055933777.

About The Dwight Schools
Founded in New York in 1872, Dwight was the first school in the Americas to offer the comprehensive International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum curriculum from preschool to grade 12. All Dwight Schools are dedicated to igniting the spark of genius in every child. This mission rests on three pillars: personalized learning, community, and global vision. Dwight's global network of schools has campuses in New York, London, Seoul, Shanghai, Dubai, Hanoi, Cairo, and in the cloud — Dwight Global Online School — which extends a Dwight education to students everywhere. The network also includes Franklin School Jersey City — a visionary new high school where students have the freedom to chart their own course, enabling students to become innovators and socially responsible global leaders. Graduates from the global network of schools attend leading colleges and universities in the U.S., including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Dartmouth, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania, among many others; as well as leading institutions of higher learning worldwide.

Founded by members of the Sachs family (of Goldman Sachs), Dwight has an extensive historical list of notable global alumni, which includes a U.S. Senator, Governor, and White House advisors, as well as the influential New York Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia and the British diplomat Sir Leonard Allinson. Noteworthy creative forces Truman Capote (author), Roy Lichtenstein (artist), and John Williams (Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist) contributed to the legacy of the arts at Dwight. Prominent vanguards Serge Kovaleski (Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) and Hans Zinsser (world-renowned immunologist), along with members of the Guggenheim, Sulzberger, Lehman, and Loeb families have all left their mark on the institution throughout the School's history.

About Al-Futtaim Education Foundation
Al-Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF) is a not-for-profit initiative started by the Al-Futtaim family to support the UAE Government's and Knowledge and Human Development Authority's vision for the creation of a globally competitive knowledge economy while maximizing their social contribution to the community. The vision of AFEF is to create excellence; to prepare its students for university, and to give them the skills to successfully embrace global citizenship and future opportunities in the UAE and beyond.

Through its commitment to celebrating legacy, solidifying its links with the community, and embracing the future, AFEF approaches education as the foundational principle of human progress. The personal growth, academic recognition, and success of its students are at the heart of the Foundation.

Media contact:
Allison Feldman, Global Director of Communications: [email protected]

SOURCE Dwight School