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Saudi Arabia, Jeddah
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EFID was created in 1966 by the French Bureau of Geologic and Mining Research. Two years later it gained the status of a French school abroad. In 1986 it moved to the Az-Zahra district near Heera Street on land leased from the Djeddah Municipality. Over the years, facilities were expanded: a sports complex (1987), a cafeteria (1988), a Documentation and Information Center (1996), a new space for kindergarten (1997), and laboratories for the sciences (1999). In 1997 the lycée levels were added, completing the school's homologation. In 2021 the school relocated to the north of the city near the King Abdullah Stadium, with new premises opened that year. In 2009 AEFE terminated its convention with the school, and it aligned with the Mission Laïque Française; the school holds homologation from the French Ministry of Education and is locally classified as a community foreign school. Financing comes from tuition paid by families, and the school operates as a non-profit; the Embassy of France in Riyadh and the Saudi Ministry of Education provide administrative supervision.
EFID's community is diverse and multilingual, reflecting its French international orientation. The school promotes intercultural openness and a rich cultural life, including student-led media and projects. The site features a student newspaper, Les Chroniques de Djeddahtown, available online, and a student web radio, Radio EFID, showcasing student productions. Extracurricular activity is active, with posts about clubs, digital challenges, science projects, and cultural events in 2025–2026, as well as forums such as a post‑bac education forum and various language and cultural activities.
EFID is governed by a parental management council that includes parent representatives; Mission Laïque Française has signed a management mandate with the council. The school publishes minutes of governance meetings, including the Conseil d'Établissement and Assemblée Générale, with records available for 2023–24 and 2024–25. Scholarship campaigns (bourses) are organized for the 2025–2026 year in coordination with families and relevant authorities. The recruitment materials describe the parental council as the school's governance body, and the school maintains an active calendar of AGs and council meetings (e.g., 24 November 2024 assembly and 16 October 2024 council meeting).
