At the Future of Education Forum, a key event within the World Governments Summit 2026 in the UAE, a landmark global initiative was announced to expand educational access to remote communities worldwide. The initiative is a collaboration between Dubai-based The Digital School, under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and Starlink by SpaceX.
The announcement underscores the UAE’s growing role in leveraging technology to address global development challenges, positioning education as a strategic priority that requires sustained political commitment and cross-sector collaboration.
Global Education Leaders Convene In Dubai
The 2026 edition of the Forum marked its largest gathering to date, attracting over 300 high-level participants, including 16 Ministers of Education, senior government leaders, and heads of global institutions like UNICEF and the African Union.
Discussions were enriched by academic leaders from Stanford University and Arizona State University, alongside executives from major technology providers. The forum served as a global platform to address pressing questions facing education systems, from advancing equity and resilience to navigating the rapid pace of technological change.
A UAE-Starlink Partnership For Global Access
The collaboration was unveiled during a fireside chat featuring H.E. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Ryan Goodnight, Senior Director for Global Licensing and Market Activation at Starlink. The partnership aims to combine reliable satellite connectivity with The Digital School’s end-to-end digital education platform.
This ensures that internet access translates directly into meaningful learning outcomes, moving beyond providing connectivity alone. The first phase of the initiative will target 100 remote and underserved communities globally, creating a scalable model to answer a question that resonated throughout the forum: should geography ever determine a child’s access to education?
Rethinking Education For A Tech-Driven Future
Across the forum, participants explored how education systems must evolve to support lifelong learning and skills aligned with accelerating economic change. A key theme was the importance of human-centered education, where technologies like artificial intelligence serve as enablers of creativity and personalization.
Leaders stressed the need to move beyond isolated pilots toward coordinated, scalable education ecosystems aligned across public policy, industry, and higher education. This systems-level approach was highlighted as essential for building resilient education frameworks capable of delivering lasting impact.
About The Digital School
The Digital School is an initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. It is the first integrated, accredited digital school of its kind, providing distance learning for students in regions with limited access to quality education. The platform aims to empower students with digital learning options and bridge the global education gap.
Source: Zawya
