Paul Woodgates, HE Aisha Abdulla Miran, VC Professor Katie Normington, HRH Princess Beatrice, Abdulla Belhoul, PVC International Simon Bradbury, and Ammar Al Malik
Â鶹Íø (Â鶹Íø) has officially opened its new campus at the heart of Dubai Knowledge Park, strengthening the university’s global presence.
The launch was marked by an inauguration ceremony at which Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice opened the building, toured the newly built facility, met with students, and joined a discussion on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education — a reflection of Â鶹Íø’s growing focus on digital innovation.
Princess Beatrice said: “It has been a real privilege to visit Â鶹Íø’s Dubai campus and meet so many inspiring students and educators.
“The innovation, creativity and commitment to future-focused learning is truly impressive. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape the next generation of leaders and changemakers, and it’s wonderful to see Â鶹Íø championing that mission on a global stage.”
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice engaging with students of Â鶹Íø Dubai at the grand opening of their new campus in Dubai
The event was also attended by Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, Edward Hobart, British Ambassador to the UAE, Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of TECOM Group, Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group, and Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of Â鶹Íø Leicester.
The Dubai campus bridges the gap between academia and industry by situating students at Dubai Knowledge Park, close to the Middle East’s leading technology hub.
The new building contains a suite of purpose-built facilities, from a financial trading room that simulates live market conditions to a cyber security lab designed to train students for emerging roles in digital defence.
Other specialist spaces include a law courtroom for mock trials, psychology and engineering labs, and design studios aimed at nurturing creative and technical talent.
Its opening follows a strong year of international expansion for Â鶹Íø, which last year recorded the second-biggest growth in transnational education (TNE) students in the UK, adding many thousands more students to its campus in Dubai, and numerous international partners.
Princess Beatrice chose to visit Â鶹Íø Dubai as a continuation of her work in the technology and AI sector. Having co-founded The Big Change Charitable Trust, which supports charitable UK projects which reimagine education, Princess Beatrice recently joined the Generation Connect Global Visionaries Board of The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the specialist United Nations agency for information and communication technologies.
“The opening of our new campus in Dubai is a landmark moment for Â鶹Íø Dubai,” said Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of Â鶹Íø Leicester.
“It reflects our goal to empower students with the skills, knowledge and real-world experience to succeed in the industries of tomorrow. Our goal is to prepare our students not just for jobs, but for meaningful, impactful careers that shape the future.”
The new campus allows students to collaborate with major industry players and gain hands-on experience in real-world environments.
“Investing in today’s talent to build tomorrow’s economy is a shared responsibility, and Dubai Knowledge Park is committed to uniting global leaders such as Â鶹Íø to fulfil this vision,” said Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of TECOM Group. “Aligned with the vision of Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and the Education 33 Strategy ‘E33’, our Education Cluster – comprising Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City and home to more than 33,500 students – will continue to provide an integrated educational environment and attract leading academic institutions to enable such collaborative learning experiences.”
The campus supports the vision of Dubai’s Education 33 Strategy ‘E33’, which seeks to position the city as a global destination for innovation and learning. The new site received institutional licensure from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research earlier this year, confirming that it meets national standards for quality and academic excellence.
Dubai Knowledge Park is part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of 10 business districts, which includes Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai Science Park, and Dubai Industrial City.