The School of Coding & AI (SoC) has taken a giant step in its attempt to make itself known on the global stage.
The UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) provider and coding education company is pushing ahead with plans to build a £3 million facility in Dubai. This move reflects the Middle East’s digital ambitions and international demand for advanced technical skills.
SoC is a respected, industry-focused education provider in the UK and will be opening its first base in the Middle East in Dubai Media City. Its programs prepare people for careers in AI, computer science, and other areas of digital innovation.
SoC advances bold plans for the Middle East
SoC was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in the Midlands. The company has gained traction in the UK and recently opened a campus in Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Wolverhampton.
This institution offers a great mix of traditional academic subjects such as computer science and business management with AI-powered learning tools and integrates new technologies into its curriculum.
The expansion to Dubai is an important step for the institution strategically and geographically. They will train 2,000 people through flexible training and give them a path into technical careers and specialized digital industries.
The UK Department of Business and Trade is supporting the initiative, providing market insights, trade support and strategic guidance to help the organization gain a foothold in the UAE’s competitive technology sector.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder Manny Athwal believes this is an exciting next step towards becoming a global player in AI and computer science education.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most aggressive investors in advanced digital infrastructure, having spent over $148 billion on AI development domestically and internationally since 2024.
After decades, the country wants to move away from its dependence on hydrocarbons and focus more on the digital industry, which is creating huge demand for qualified specialists.
Dubai’s reputation as a hub for technology and business has also made it attractive to international training providers. Media City, where the new campus is based, is already home to an ecosystem of media companies, technology companies, start-ups and creative agencies.
The UAE’s newly regulated iGaming industry will benefit. Operators of the best Arabic online casinos need skilled technology staff behind the scenes.
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The industry needs more data scientists, machine learning engineers, blockchain developers and cybersecurity specialists. Training institutes that can produce professionals with these skills will play a key role in the sustainable expansion of the sector.
There are numerous technological opportunities in the Middle East
SoC leadership believes the Gulf offers a unique environment for developing world-class tech talent. They recently took part in a UK government-led trade mission to the UAE, bringing together UK education and technology providers with senior stakeholders in Dubai’s economic development and innovation ecosystem.
Athwal also visited Saudi Arabia and took part in a parallel education investment initiative, showing the school sees the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a key long-term growth market.
This calculated push into Dubai has been in the planning stages for some time. SoC has been gradually expanded. Just last year the company opened a £2.5m advanced technology lab at its Birmingham campus.
This has facilities for game design, podcast production, in-house research and experimental AI applications, including interactive virtual avatars.
The company also renovated its headquarters in Wolverhampton as it gained national recognition, with Athwal hailed as one of Britain’s most ambitious business leaders.
British officials view the expansion as an exercise that strengthens educational and technology ties between the UK and the UAE.
The UK government has turned to international education exports as part of its overarching industrial strategy, identifying AI and digital skills as areas ripe for global partnership.
The SoC campus in Dubai highlights the UK as a destination for world-class technical education while supporting economic ties. The organization’s programs prepare participants through project-based learning and expose them to real-world challenges.
