Qatar
Tennis player Hady Habib visits EAA Foundation’s First Assalam School
Lebanese-American tennis star Hady Habib inspired students and educators during a special visit to First Assalam School, an initiative of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation dedicated to advancing education and development.
Launched in 2019, the First Assalam School supports non-Arab children aged 7 to 12 who face financial and structural barriers to accessing quality education. To date, the school has enrolled more than 5,300 students, providing inclusive learning opportunities and structured academic pathways that enable students to reintegrate into formal education systems.
During the visit, Habib shared insights from his professional journey, underscoring the importance of perseverance, discipline, and ambition in achieving success at the highest levels of international sport. His engagement reflects the school’s commitment to exposing students to positive role models who demonstrate how resilience and hard work can unlock opportunity, both inside and outside the classroom.
As part of the programme, Habib toured the school library, engaged learners through a health and wellness session, a rapid-fire game, and led an interactive sports session with students and educators, reinforcing the role of sport as a powerful tool for building confidence and holistic development.
Speaking on the visit, Al Jazi Hasan Darwish, director, Communications and Engagement at EAA Foundation, said: "At Education Above All Foundation, we believe education is not only about academic attainment, but about nurturing confidence, resilience, and aspiration. Welcoming an athlete of Hady Habib’s calibre offers our students a living example of what determination and self-belief can achieve. These moments help children see beyond their immediate circumstances and imagine futures shaped by opportunity, purpose, and possibility.”
The First Assalam School delivers the British curriculum and integrates specialised, non-traditional programmes such as accelerated learning and homeschooling to bridge learning gaps, address foundational deficits, and support students in excelling academically. The school plays a critical role in assisting children whose education has been disrupted, ensuring they are not left behind.