Inside Dubai's new $100m school leading UAE's super premium education vision

A landmark Dubai school backed by $100m in investment has set out its ambitious mission to develop the "classroom of tomorrow", after opening its doors.

The Gems School of Research and Innovation - the UAE's most expensive with fees ranging from Dh116,000 ($31,500) for pupils in Foundation Stage One, to Dh206,000 ($56,000) in Year 12 - is at the forefront of the UAE's super premium education strategy.

The school, which opened for the new academic year in September, was officially inaugurated this week by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee.

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The high-tech institution aims to champion artificial intelligence, innovation and sustainability to prepare learners for an evolving global landscape.

“Education remains the cornerstone of our nation’s future, and initiatives such as the Gems School of Research and Innovation play a vital role in preparing the next generation to lead progress with creativity, purpose, and a strong sense of responsibility,” said Sheikh Mansoor.

Sunny Varkey, chairman and founder of Gems Education, spoke of the school's key role in shaping future generations.

“The Gems School of Research and Innovation embodies our belief that the classroom of tomorrow is one where every child is empowered to explore, create and lead," he said.

"SRI represents the very best of our mission to deliver world-class education that prepares students to shape the future."

Top of the class

Spanning more than 47,000 square metres, it features a three-storey Research Hub, which includes robotics labs, extended reality studios, and digital lounges to serve pupils from early years to secondary school.

Each teacher at the school is provided with AI-enabled devices and software, to be used as cutting-edge tools to advance education.

The campus has integrated humanoid and quadruped robotics in learning spaces and is home to an E-sports and game design academy, an F1 and karting engineering lab and a food technology lab equipped with hydroponics and 3D food printing capabilities.

Driving sustainability

The school generates 30 per cent of its power from solar energy and uses smart systems to optimise lighting, ventilation, and energy use.

Rainwater harvesting, low-flow fixtures, and hydroponic gardens further promote sustainability.

The school’s sports amenities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, Fifa-certified football pitch, 400m athletics track and custom-built fencing arena.

It also houses the region’s first all-Steinway Premier Music Academy, offering concert-level instruments and recording studios.

Elite schools to cater to ultra wealthy

Gems Education, one of the world’s biggest private school operators, also has plans to launch a school for the super-affluent in Abu Dhabi.

The “significant reallocation of high-income families” into the Arab world’s second-largest economy, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, has been a “very prevalent trend”, which supports the case for another educational institution for this fast-growing segment of the population, Dino Varkey, chief executive of Gems Education, told The National at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh last month.

The UK's renowned Harrow School is to launch in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next year.

Harrow International School Dubai will be constructed on a 50,000 square metre plot of land on Hessa Street and will eventually serve up to 2,000 pupils.

It was announced in February that the Abu Dhabi branch would open in the middle of next year, with enrolment beginning in October.