Two more Dubai pupils named International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme toppers

UAE toppers are among only 218 pupils worldwide who achieve a perfect marks

Two more Dubai pupils are celebrating a perfect score on their International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) examinations bringing the country’s total aces to three.

Globally, only 218 pupils out of 160,000 achieved 45 out of 45 points on the IBDP examinations.

Two of these pupils, Sara Dube and Kareem Kubeisy, are both graduates of the Jumeirah English Speaking School Dubai (JESS). Kareem had initially received 44 points but a correction to one of his essays pushed his overall grade to 45.

“I felt ecstatic,” said Kareem, giving credit to his school for producing two students with perfect marks. “Honestly, I think the school is incredible. They put a lot of work and effort into IB and we have such a solid sixth form team that it was bound to happen eventually.”

Ian Thurston, deputy head of Key Stage 5 and pastoral at JESS, said the school community is “absolutely delighted.

“To get two 45 pointers this year is a fabulous achievement,” he said.

Kareem, an 18-year-old American, will begin studying at Columbia University this autumn where he is considering a major in economics.

Sara, also 18, will attend the University of Oxford to study philosophy, politics and economics.

One of the branches of the country’s oldest IB school, Emirates International School, produced the third IBDP top scorer.

Armin Ghofrani, an 18-year-old German student, attained the school’s first perfect IBDP score. Armin has decided to take a gap year to travel.

“We’ve attained 43s and 44s previously, but this is our first 45 so this is very exciting,” said Eleanor Nolan, IBDP coordinator for EIS-Meadows, adding that 17 per cent of the students attained 40 points or higher.