UAE reinforces approach to building high-impact global partnerships in vital sectors
The UAE has launched a new initiative aimed at making high-quality digital education more accessible to remote and underserved communities worldwide.
The programme will be implemented through a partnership between The Digital School and Starlink, the satellite internet service, with the first phase targeting 100 sites in remote locations around the globe.
Signed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026, the partnership will operate through an integrated model that combines reliable connectivity with comprehensive digital learning.
The partnership was announced in the presence of Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Vice Chairman of the World Governments Summit, and Chairman of the Board of The Digital School, an initiative under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
The partnership underscores the UAE’s leadership in advancing future-ready education solutions and fostering global collaboration, while reinforcing its commitment to equitable access to education and shaping the future of learning.
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.
“We’re thrilled to provide high-speed connectivity to the UAE’s new global model for digital education with The Digital School and their students,” said Ryan Goodnight, Senior Director of Market Access and Development at SpaceX.
“With Starlink, students in remote, underserved, or connectivity-challenged areas can access online learning, real-time collaboration tools, global scholarships, and career resources, sparking curiosity and growth.”
The Partnership
Through this collaboration, reliable, high-quality satellite internet connectivity will be provided by Starlink, while The Digital School will lead the development and deployment of a comprehensive digital education ecosystem, transforming connectivity into a structured, accredited learning journey. This includes tailored digital education programmes, learning platforms, digital content, and sustainable capacity building for educators.
The first phase of the project will target 100 sites, but the initiative has a flexible design to allow expansion based on impact readiness and effective partnerships. The programme will also feature enrichment pathways in space sciences, leveraging SpaceX’s ecosystem.
As part of early implementation, three schools in the Kingdom of Lesotho have already been equipped with Starlink connectivity alongside fully integrated digital education systems provided by The Digital School. This includes 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 initiative has so far reached over 800,000 learners and trained more than 30,000 digital educators. Its educational and training content is currently available in seven languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Sorani-Kurdish, Portuguese, and Bahasa Indonesia.
