KAA/ISA Alumni Association

Official KAA/ISA Alumni Association channel. Highlighting notable achievements of a world-class, exceptional school by Washington D.C. Insta: @kaa_isa_alumni

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

FROM THE ARCHIVES: ISA 4TH grade class of 1985-1986. Recognize anyone here? Tag yourself.

This is what legacy looks like. This is the beautiful legacy now abruptly ended.

#saudi
#SaudiArabia

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

Selling KAA is ending a strong Saudi cultural icon @mofksa #saudi #saudiarabia @rbalsaud @ngis_abdullah @tc_mohe @SaudiEmbassyUSA @PIF_en

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

@MOFKSA @tc_mohe #saudi #saudiarabia @rbsalsaud @ngis_kingabdullah @KAHFORG @SaudiEmbassyUSA

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

We tried, but our beautiful school campus was sold within four months of informing us. The school community wants it to be known that the building was special, and we could have saved it had we been given more notice and time. It is now being turned into a public school. The cultural heritage of the building will no longer be a part of our community. It was a beautiful piece of Saudi Arabia right here in Washington, DC. Serving many, many Saudis, Arabs, and International and local communities. There has been nothing like it, and there will be nothing like it again. It has displaced 1200 students and broken apart a vibrant school community.

#saudi #SaudiArabia

@MOFKSA
@tc_mohe
@SaudiEmbassyUSA
@rbalsaud
@KAHFORG
@ngis_abdullah
@fcpsnews

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

Thank you.

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

#saudi #SaudiArabia
@KingSalman

@MOFKSA @tc_mohe @SaudiEmbassyUSA @rbalsaud @KAHFORG @ngis_abdullah

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

"A million words would not bring you back, I know, because I tried; a million tears would not bring you back, I know, because I cried."

Boys huddle around each other.

Parents comforting one another.

Students comforting teachers, who are comforting students.

Old and young, small and big.

Kids wearing the graduation cap and gown in what they hoped was in their future.

The loss was deeply felt.

It is not easy to let this all go.

When the Prophet Muhammad left Mecca, he turned to it and said: Allah knows how much I love you, and you, Mecca, are the best and most beloved to me. Had I had a choice, I would not have left you. I would not have left you. Today, this beautiful family turned to KAA and said, KAA, you are most beloved to us. Had it been our choice, we would not have left you. We would not have left you.

May Allah allow this community to be restored soon and better. May He most especially help our high schoolers who will have a challenging few years ahead, by no choice of their own. May Allah comfort the hearts of this brokenhearted community.

#saudi #SaudiArabia
@MOFKSA @SaudiEmbassyUSA

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

The final farewell. Taken by a fellow KAA teacher of the last time that KAA buses will drive off with their students. The pain felt in this community in Washington, DC, is palpable beyond anything, and the void left is strong. The tears and heartbreak are so much pain. The kids are crying.

We tried. Our beloved community. We tried.

"A million words would not bring you back, I know, because I tried; A million tears would not bring you back, I know, because I cried."

#saudi #SaudiArabia
@KingSalman

@MOFKSA @tc_mohe @SaudiEmbassyUSA @rbalsaud @KAHFORG @ngis_abdullah

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

@realDonaldTrump helping our community in NOVA save this US-Saudi school could have been a remarkable way to further relations between US and Saudi, bringing some of the best talent of Saudi Arabia to be interested in wanting to come to USA, knowing there is a thriving, successful and beautiful Saudi community in Washington D.C. where they can continue to educate their children. The school was hugely impactful over 40 years, with graduates who actually played roles in deepening the relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, some alumni from this school you know very well and respect, including the ambassador. Unfortunately, the funding has been fully taken away and in two days this school, which has had a hugely successful record over 4 decades, is now shutting down. Many Saudi parents who were at the school are concerned that living here may no longer be for them and some have already returned back to KSA. The 1100 students at the school are being impacted, many left not knowing where to go for school as there was not another school like this. It is a sad institutional loss for this beautiful and blooming friendship between US and Saudi. In fact, a school is one of the most beautiful ways to demonstrate two countries growing partnership.

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

ICYMI #SaudiFlagDay #يوم_العلم was a few days ago.

This is the only institution like this in the USA where the US and Saudi flag have flown together for 40 years. Alumni of this school go on to do remarkable things.

They attend Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and other notable institutions and earn BS/AB/MD/JD/PHD.

They go to work for the US federal government.

They work in or for Saudi Arabia.

They become diplomats, CEOs, startup founders, entrepreneurs, professors, and so on.

They develop a multicultural appreciation unmatched anywhere else, especially for Arab and Saudi culture.

There is no place like this in the US. It took 40 years to establish this institution.

Shutting down the school is not just ending classes. It is ending an entire multidecade successful legacy. One that is needed now more than ever with increasing 🇺🇸🇸🇦 relations.

Save the School.

Your Royal Highnesses:

@kbsalsaud @BadrFAlSaud @FaisalbinFarhan
@KSAmofaEN @mocsaudi_en @rbalsaud
@SaudiEmbassyUSA

Your Excellencies:
@MAAljadaan @MOFKSA @minister_moe_sa
@tc_mohe @Khalid_AlFalih @MISA @AdelAljubeir
@W_Elkhereiji @BaderAlkahail @Badermasaker

#Saudi #SaudiArabia @KAUST_News @KAUST_NewsAR
@Turki_alalshikh @abusulayman @OlayanSaudi
@CGCSaudi @Jim_Moran @GerryConnolly

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

Dear HH @FaisalbinFarhan and HRH @rbalsaud,

For over 40 years, students have entered a beloved and globally renowned school where the Saudi and American flags proudly fly side by side. In this new era of partnership and cooperation between our two nations, the significance of this school is more important than ever.

Located in Washington, DC—arguably the world’s most important diplomatic city—this world-class institution founded by #SaudiArabia decades ago has produced countless alumni who embrace multiculturalism and deeply respect and understand Saudi culture and society. It has shaped diplomats, influential leaders, and former students and graduates who have gone on to attend the world’s most prestigious universities and worked at the highest levels of the US Federal government and other esteemed institutions including in The beautiful Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This #Saudi vision has repeatedly proven successful, nurturing students who reach their highest potential while upholding civic responsibility and a deep appreciation for diverse cultures. Thousands of testimonials from alumni to parents to students reinforce the success of this school.

Please save the school.

Its continued existence is essential now, more than ever, as cooperation between our two nations grows deeper. As diplomats and leaders will increase travel between the two countries, this school will become an essential resource for families, the broader community, and the future of diplomatic relations between the USA and Saudi Arabia.
@MOFKSA @Turki_alalshikh @jadan_2007
@saudiinusa @abusulayman @BadrFAlSaud @CGCSaudi @SaudiEmbassyUSA @BaderAlkahail
@Badermasaker @Jim_Moran @GerryConnolly #FIIPRIORITY

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

The joy that walked these halls was palpable and felt everywhere. Kids are skipping, running, jumping, dancing, and singing. When you walked into this school, you felt it. Every single one of these children held on to hope that this beloved community could remain. Every one of them. Every one of them comes from families of sincere, hard-working, and accomplished (some really impressive!!) backgrounds. It is a devastating reality that in two days, a beautiful, successful, and growing (did you know how long our waitlist was??) community will end by no desire or decision of this community. It is beyond confusing and devastating.

@MOFKSA @SaudiEmbassyUSA @rbalsaud @KSAmofaEN @mocsaudi_en @KAHFORG @ngis_abdullah

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

sound on

Dear KAA:

You taught me the courage of stars before you left

How light carries on endlessly, even after death

With shortness of breath

You explained the infinite

And how rare and beautiful it is to even exist

I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again

I tried to write it down, but I could never find a pen

I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time

That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes

I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again

I tried to write it down, but I could never find a pen

I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time

That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes

With shortness of breath

I'll try to explain the infinite

And how rare and beautiful it is to even exist

With shortness of breath

I'll try to explain the infinite

And how rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist

[saturn: sleeping at last]

--
You are closing and leaving us with holes in our hearts. Why? Why is this being dismantled: there are no reasons that make sense to any of us. A thriving, beautiful, and successful community with so much pride of attending a school supported by KSA.

#saudi #SaudiArabia

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

A reflection from a current parent:

I think it’s important for the people behind this decision to understand what’s happening right now at our beloved school from 6,700 miles away. I sat in my car today, stunned, watching this precious scene that has been the same routine for over 40 years. I can’t make sense of how a decision like this was made, or how a school like this, so special, is being taken away.

The pulse of this place? It’s heartbroken. Shocked. Flabbergasted. None of this makes sense. The air feels heavy, not just because something precious is being taken, but because what this school was, and what it could’ve still become, is being cut short. This school was on a clear path to success, thriving, and being loved.

The truth is, this can’t be replaced. And it shows. In the conversations I’ve had with other parents, many still don't have a plan for the fall for their children. No clear options. We continue to ask, how can something like this be decided from so far away, so suddenly, without giving the people here, this community, a chance to fight for it?

Honestly, I believe history won’t look kindly on this moment. In our tradition, we know that power, prestige, and wealth only come from Allah, and with that comes great responsibility. The quiet, sincere prayers of 1,100 students matter.

Right now, there are just four days left. Monday through Thursday. Four final days for students to walk these halls, to be proud students at a Saudi-American school, and to be part of this rare, beautiful thing.

The void that’s coming is going to echo forever. Trust me, here it’ll be felt. Not just now, but for a long, long time.  The conversations about how and why this happened will be discussed and felt for years to come.

#saudi #SaudiArabia #Saudivision2030

@kbsalsaud
@BadrFAlSaud
@FaisalbinFarhan
@KSAmofaEN
@mocsaudi_en
@rbalsaud
@SaudiEmbassyUSA
@KAHFORG
@MAAljadaan
@MOFKSA
@tc_mohe
@Khalid_AlFalih
@MISA
@AdelAljubeir
@W_Elkhereiji
@BaderAlkahail
@Badermasaker
@Turki_alalshikh
@abusulayman
@OlayanSaudi
@KAUST_News
@KAUST_NewsAR
@PIF_en
@PIFSaudi
@KAUST_News
@CGCSaudi
@KAHFORG

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

@PIF_en @PIFSaudi

[KAA/ISA Alumni Association @KAA_ISA_Alumni]

According to one KAA parent, permanently closing the school, and as abrupt as it was, is a missed opportunity to align the school with KSA's 2030 vision and beyond. Investing in human potential the greatest investment of all with 40 years of success backing it. #saudi #SaudiArabia @SaudiVision2030

@kbsalsaud
@BadrFAlSaud
@FaisalbinFarhan
@KSAmofaEN
@mocsaudi_en
@rbalsaud
@SaudiEmbassyUSA
@KAHFORG
@MAAljadaan
@MOFKSA
@tc_mohe
@Khalid_AlFalih
@MISA
@AdelAljubeir
@W_Elkhereiji
@BaderAlkahail
@Badermasaker
@Turki_alalshikh
@abusulayman
@OlayanSaudi
@KAUST_News
@KAUST_NewsAR
@KAUST
@CGCSaudi