The Manarat Alumni Story

Manarat Jeddah started of as a school for Children of expatriates in Saudi Arabia.

The thing about Manarat was the environment we shared irrespective of background, wealth or race, we at Manarat shared a common theme: Manarat theme or son thing non-Manarats would not understand.

Ever since learning about the internet, tried finding friends of Manarat in Facebook.

Well, especially my close friend Omar Farooq Saleh. Well, learning more about Facebook groups. Thought of starting a manarat group in Facebook.

But then there were many groups. Think of the different manarat schools:

Manarat Jeddah

Manarat Riyadh

Manarat Makkah

Manarat Madinah

I thought of making one Facebook group but then there were so many Facebook groups for Manarat.

The earliest in making a website for Manarat Jeddah alumni was a younger brother of a class fiend. Thanks to him as he led the way.

Why not one face group for all Manarat Students.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/manaratjeddahalumini/

Though slowly increasing but all are students from Manarat Jeddah English Section.

Facebook page :https://www.facebook.com/manaratjeddahAlumnus

We connected with long-lost friends and teachers from this group.

I was waiting for the Manarat Jeddah school authorities to already have a site for their alumni. But they did not have any alumni site, surprisingly.

We are Manaratians from Manarat Jeddah, we're the best, well academically.

Ok The British School: called Continental did have a swimming pool and had fancy fixtures but when it came to academics it was Manarat Jeddah.

There was PCS, the American school. Did you guys know this school was founded in 1952 by expatriates?

Currently AISJ: American  International  School Jeddah

https://www.aisj.edu.sa/about

For the guys who were not doing well in Manarat ,those students shifted over there.

Well as I searched for manarat news, there was not any anyway.

I learned the following :

Manarat was founded by Prince Muhammad Al Faisal  (Son of King Faisal)

The School was sold to Maarif Education.

Well 10% being to sold to Gems Education. (A CO Education school). This was very recently and that is why I registered  the site:manaratjeddah.com

Habiba Hamid's article. She works for Newsweek .

"A co-educational experiment launched in the 1980s, these schools truly were a beacon — the English translation of manarat — for so many students. Too many schools in Saudi Arabia were just cash cows set up by expatriates, churning out sub-standard diplomas and graduates with elitist attitudes. On the other hand, there were the many Wahhabi-oriented madrasahs, or religious schools, designed to indoctrinate children without teaching them critical thinking..."

"The adventure began when one of a royal circle of reformers, Prince Mohammed Al Faisal Al-Saud, launched Manarat as part of a larger vision. He drafted my parents to shape its strategic direction and Dr. Tawfiq Al-Shawi, an Egyptian legal authority on democracy, championed the project among Saudi policy makers.

One of the first things my mother did was to recognize the talents of a school teacher, who grew to become one of our closest family friends. Aisha Abdullah is a tall, African American convert to Islam with a heavy southern drawl. Her stoicism and imposing calm got her appointed as headmistress in a Manarat school in Jeddah, where she ran a tight ship.

Dilettantes, who were far too used to throwing their connections around crying wasta — an Arabic term for the use of powerful client networks and connections — threatened her career and played the race card like it was going out of fashion. But she would have none of it. She wasn't chosen for her political savvy or ability to pander to a brash set of royals. But Mrs. Aisha, as many still refer to her even after all these years, could and did face down and discipline scores of spoilt children.

Manarat sought to demolish ideas of wealth, class, race and nationality in an egalitarian project which mixed expatriates from Africa, Asia and Europe with Saudi nationals, with classes in both English and Arabic. Schools across Saudi Arabia, from Al Khobar to Jeddah, were built from the ground up with white-washed walls and cool marble floors. "

-----Habiba Hamid.

source :https://www.masress.com/en/dailynews/122165

The reason for this site was:

Manarat Jeddah alumni keep in touch with each other

All other Manarat Alumni keep in touch

Arabic section of all Manarat Schools

Girls school of all Manarat schools

Professional contact

Meeting physically  for reunion

Share ideas.

In the golden age we share memories and knowledge we learned in the 1980s and 1990s,we share it in Facebook group and WhatsApp.

Currently

We are redesigning:

Redesign of website by professionals.(Contributions are appreciated).

Currently focusing on member directories for Manarat Jeddah Alumni.

But will focus later on:

 Manarat  Jeddah Girls Alumni

Manarat  Grils Alumni

Manarat Boys English and Arabic.

note :

Only girls can access Manarat Girls alumni from both  the English and Arabic section

Only boys can access Manarat Boys alumni from both the English and Arabic sections.

These directories are available for registered users.

Presently e-mail for registration on our site.:info@manaratjeddah.com.

Use Google Forms to keep your information.

https://manaratjeddah.com/manaratainfo/

But I cannot do this alone, need your help too.

PayPal e-mail for contribution. Pls, e-mail me after you have sent a contribution.

Finally, a Doctor friend of mine (Manarat Jeddah ) from the USA encouraged me and ultimately domain was registered and site made. There was no central place of meeting or getting any info of Manarat Jeddah alumni and friends. Then even Marif's Education of Manarat schools did not have a website for Manarat Jeddah.

Email us

info@manaratjeddah.com

manaratjeddahalumnus@gmail.com