UAE Launches Partnership With 'Starlink' For Digital Education Globally

2026-02-10 02:31:55

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Digital School, one of the initiatives of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, announced the launch of a strategic global partnership with Starlink, the satellite internet service on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2026.

The partnership aims to expand access to high quality digital education for learners in remote and underserved communities worldwide.

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The first phase of the initiative targets 100 sites in remote areas around the world with a flexible design that allows for expansion based on impact readiness and effective partnerships.

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The partnership will also include enrichment pathways in space sciences, leveraging SpaceX's ecosystem to spark student curiosity strengthen aspirations and connect education to future horizons.

Three schools in the Kingdom of Lesotho have already been equipped with reliable Starlink connectivity alongside integrated digital education systems provided by The Digital School. These include computers, a dedicated digital learning platform, digitisation of national curricula and comprehensive teacher training programmes, ensuring a systematic sustainable and measurable educational impact.

The Digital School will lead the development and deployment of a comprehensive digital education ecosystem that transforms connectivity into a structured accredited learning journey. This includes tailored digital education programme, learning platforms, digital content and sustainable capacity building for educators.

The global partnership was announced in the presence of Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Vice Chairman of the World Government Summit and Chairman of the Board of The Digital School.

The agreement was signed by Ryan Goodnight, Senior Director of Market Access and Development at SpaceX, and Dr Waleed Al Ali, Secretary-General of The Digital School.

Starlink is the world's most advanced satellite constellation in low Earth orbit delivering reliable broadband internet capable of supporting streaming online gaming video calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world's leading provider of launch services and the only provider with an orbital class reusable rocket, SpaceX brings deep expertise in spacecraft development and on orbit operations.

The Digital School, launched in November 2020 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, under the umbrella of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is the first accredited digital school of its kind by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in the United States.

The Digital School aims to empower learners through diverse digital learning options offering innovative and flexible models for hybrid learning and distance education. It primarily targets underprivileged communities, refugees and displaced populations worldwide leveraging digital education and modern curricula to expand access to quality learning opportunities.

The initiative continues to expand its global reach having benefited more than 800,000 learners and trained over 30,000 digital educators to date.

Educational and training content is currently available in seven languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Sorani-Kurdish, Portuguese and Bahasa-Indonesia; reflecting the school's commitment to inclusivity localisation and global accessibility.