GEMS Education to invest Dh2 billion, add 20,000 UAE school seats, set new academic priorities

GEMS Education is entering the new academic year and is determined to focus on connections, artificial intelligence, future readiness and academic standards. They are also continuing a major expansion plan that will add 20,000 student seats across the UAE over the next three years. The education group has already added 5,000 new seats, with further capacity coming through new schools as well as extensions to existing campuses.

Dino Varkey, Group CEO of GEMS Education, told Gulf News, that the organisation's overarching strategy remains unchanged, with the group now entering the third year of its three-year strategic cycle.

"I don't think our strategic priorities as an organisation have necessarily changed, right? It's always been around academic excellence, operational excellence, and a strong GEMS family. And for us, we were running that on a three-year cycle. This is the start of year three."

However, the new academic year will see a continued emphasis on several initiatives spanning academics, co-curricular activities, technology, family engagement and student wellbeing.

For Lisa Crausby OBE, Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education, the starting point for the year is on culture. "First and foremost, it's all around culture, making sure that we're setting the right culture out both for our families, our teachers and obviously for our students who are the heart of everything we do."

That means creating an environment in which students feel connected and supported as they return to school.

"And so, the first big element is making sure that we're reuniting, you know that our students are making friends, that they feel happy, they feel safe, they feel heard, they feel seen."

Crausby said GEMS is also focusing on making expectations and communication clearer across its schools, particularly as new teachers and students join the organisation. She added that the group has planned activities and events specifically intended to increase human interaction between teachers, students and families.

"We've got activities and events planned to kind of increase that human connection whether that is teacher to students, whether it's families with our students, whatever it is we've got lots of examples of where we're going to bring that to life this year."

Artificial intelligence will be another area of focus during the academic year, although its use among younger students will remain restricted in line with UAE government requirements. Below the age of 13, the children would not be using AI in the classrooms.

Crausby said there is still value in teaching younger students about AI, particularly its benefits and risks, without allowing them to rely on the technology to produce answers. She also highlighted the importance of safeguards as GEMS expands its use of AI. "So and obviously I mentioned earlier about the guardrails around AI, so it's important that everything's done safely."

For the wider GEMS network, Crausby said AI and EdTech will be rolled out carefully during the year. But technology will not replace the focus on relationships. Instead, GEMS sees it as one part of a broader approach to preparing students for life beyond school.

Among the initiatives being strengthened this year are Beyond 100 and Determined Genius. Crausby said Beyond 100 will involve 'some micro habits that our students in schools will be doing every single day to live a long, happy, healthy life.'

Determine Genius, meanwhile, is designed to identify and develop students' entrepreneurial potential.

"In addition to that we have another initiative around Determined Genius and this is about finding the genius in that entrepreneurial spirit in every child, putting a laser sharp focus on future readiness more than anything."

The focus on future readiness will also mean a greater emphasis on critical thinking, metacognition and helping students develop deeper expertise through co-curricular opportunities.

Alongside the changes within schools, GEMS is continuing to invest heavily in physical capacity as demand for education grows in the UAE.

Varkey said the group has already delivered 5,000 new student seats. "So we've just delivered 5,000 new student seats. So Founders Nad Al Hamar is obviously the most significant one, but extensions of existing schools, FirstPoint, Cambridge, extensions of World Academy in Abu Dhabi."

The group's longer-term plan is considerably larger. Our plan is to add about 20,000 seats over the course of three years." Varkey said the expansion represents an investment of Dh2 billion over the same period. A significant majority of the new capacity will be aimed at the value and affordable segments of the market, although GEMS expects to continue adding premium schools as well. The bulk of the UAE expansion is expected to take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

"So that's where we see it. And then look, yeah, across Dubai and Abu Dhabi is where we see sort of most of that growth as well."

Varkey said the group continues to see demand across different parts of the market.

Despite the competitive education market, GEMS said teacher recruitment is not currently a major challenge.

Crausby said the group continues to attract applicants internationally and places significant emphasis on both quality and cultural fit.

"We don't really have an issue with recruiting teachers when we look at the data. It's quite a phenomenal process. With the English National Curriculum, our leaders go to England and recruit from there, and we get lots of applicants wanting to join GEMS."

GEMS recruited 1,550 teachers this year, according to Crausby, while the group also aims to develop talent internally through instructional coaching and leadership pipelines.

"Obviously we want high calibre teachers, we want knowledgeable teachers, teachers that will fit into our values, our moral imperative, you know working the extra mile for students in an environment that makes them flourish and thrive."

She said the group's instructional coaching model also helps teachers develop their skills and creates opportunities for internal progression.

While the UAE remains central to GEMS' investment strategy, the group is also looking at growth beyond the country.

Varkey said the organisation wants to continue investing alongside the UAE's growth and providing education for families choosing to live in the country. "And then, look, our investment thesis or our ambition for the UAE hasn't changed. It continues as it always has. So, we continue to want to invest alongside the growth of the UAE and to make sure that we've got extraordinary education for the families that choose to build their lives here."

Beyond the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other markets are expected to play a role in the group's expansion.

"I think as we look to expand into other markets, obviously adjacent growth markets like Saudi Arabia. Like other countries are gonna be important to us."

GEMS is also expanding its managed-school business, known as GSM, which allows the organisation to use its education expertise to manage schools for external clients.

"And then further afield, look, it's using or leveraging GSM, which is our managed school vertical."

"So GEMS School management, GSM is our managed school vertical. Yeah, look, that's just us leveraging our intellectual property to manage schools for our clients."

Varkey said the group hopes to be operating across 24 countries by the end of the year.