Dubai, UAE – November 10, 2026 – Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai 2026, officially opened today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Sheikh Saeed Halls, running through 12 November, inaugurated by Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), whose tour of the show floor marked the start of this year’s exhibition. She was joined by Her Excellency Aisha Sultan Majid Al Shamsi, Executive Director of the Ajman Private Education Affairs (APEA) Office.
Billed as “the future of education starts here,” this year’s show is expected to bring together more than 7,500 educators, EdTech leaders and suppliers over the three days, running alongside the co-located Education Investment MENA conference. The exhibition floor is open from 10:00 to 18:00 on 10 and 11 November, and 10:00 to 17:00 on 12 November.
The show opens against a backdrop of continued growth across the region’s education sector. Dubai’s private education sector alone is set to welcome 26 new institutions in the 2026–27 academic year — seven schools, 17 early childhood centers and two international higher education institutions (KHDA) — while the wider GCC education sector is projected to see student numbers rise from 14 million in 2024 to 15.5 million by 2029, requiring more than 2,800 additional schools over that period (Alpen Capital, GCC Education Industry Report 2025). The GCC’s international-schools market alone now comprises 1,854 schools serving almost 1.9 million students, with the UAE remaining in the region’s largest international-school market at 935 schools serving more than 934,000 students.
Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of KHDA, noted the important role that education exhibitions and industry platforms play in bringing together educators, policymakers, innovators and industry partners, saying that they provide valuable opportunities to exchange knowledge, explore emerging trends and technologies, showcase innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and strengthen collaboration across the education ecosystem. They also support the sector’s ongoing development by connecting educational needs with new ideas, expertise and solutions that can help shape the future of learning.
Sarah Palmer, Brand Director at GESS, Informa, said: “The education community has really pulled out all the stops this year, and you can feel the buzz across the show floor! GESS Dubai is definitely not your typical exhibition. We’ve got everything from Limitless Learning’s 360° immersive dome and Smart Garden showing how students can grow their own produce, to Terra at Expo City Dubai bringing a little bit of nature indoors with beekeeping and honey-making experiences. Throw in our new Design & Build feature, the Early Years Interactive Discovery Zone, live classroom setups, Startup Spotlight and Leaders in Education, and there’s something happening around every corner. It’s brilliant to see so many creative ideas coming to life, and that’s exactly the kind of energy we love bringing to GESS Dubai!”
The conference programme runs across nine stages and streams this year – GESS Talks Live Stage, Leaders in Education, Inclusion, Wellbeing and Sustainability, Product Showcase, EdTech in Action, Design & Build, Early Years, Education Investment MENA, and Startup Spotlight – with CPD-accredited sessions available throughout.
