The International Baccalaureate recognises that many schools, students and families across the Middle East are currently facing extremely difficult and uncertain circumstances. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, including the many educators, students and families within the IB community.
We remain in close contact with IB schools and regional IB associations and are committed to supporting them during this period.
Immediate Focus on Coursework and Assessments
Our immediate focus is on supporting schools with the completion and submission of coursework and early assessment components. At the same time, we are reviewing the potential implications of the current situation and what this may mean more broadly.
Support continues to be provided in line with the IB’s Adverse Circumstances policy, which sets out the available mitigations where students are affected by serious, unforeseen events during the assessment period.
Measures to Relieve Pressure on Schools
The following measures are currently in place to relieve pressure for schools in the Middle East wherever possible. These measures will be reviewed on an ongoing basis:
- An extension of the submission deadline for coursework, moving from 15 March to 15 April. Schools in the region are not required to contact the IB’s Adverse Circumstances team unless they wish to discuss specific challenges within their school context, or request an extension for internal assessment components. Deadline extensions for coursework are available to any student affected by an adverse situation, and any IB school can contact the team to request one in such cases.
- Updated guidance to support teachers during this period is available via the IB’s Programme Resource Centre (PRC).
- Inclusive Access Arrangements (IAA), which schools can request for students impacted by current events.
- Students have the option to transfer registration to another IB World School, defer May 2026 examinations to a later session at no extra cost, or withdraw from the May 2026 session with a full refund.
Scope of Support
These measures apply to IB schools across Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The IB will continue to work closely with schools and IB associations to provide the best support and guidance possible.
For more information visit website below,
Further Reading:
- Saudi Arabia Opens School Performance Data to Parents in Landmark Move
- Saudi Arabia’s Human Capability Agenda and the African Opportunity Ahead