Building the Future of Learning
✅ (2nd Edition) Movenpick Grand Al Bustan, Dubai, UAE
29 - 30 September 2026
Riyadh, KSA
01 - 02 December 2026
Building the Future of Learning
The future of education begins with the environments in which learning takes place. Across the GCC, governments and education providers are investing in next-generation schools that are sustainable, technology-enabled, inclusive, and designed to foster student wellbeing, educational excellence, and long-term community impact. As educational needs continue to evolve, collaboration between the education and built environment sectors has become essential to creating learning environments that are resilient, adaptable, and future-ready.
The Future Schools Summit is the GCC's premier platform dedicated to the planning, design, construction, sustainability, technology, and operation of educational infrastructure. Bringing together school leaders, government authorities, architects, consultants, developers, engineers, contractors, and technology providers, the summit drives meaningful collaboration, shares global best practices, and showcases the innovations shaping the next generation of schools and educational campuses across the region.
Photo Gallery
Sponsors & Partners
Advisory Board
Hind El Aoufi
Jim Stearns
Chairman
Dr. Bhakti More
Dr. Dhrupad Mathur
Speakers
Hugh Martin
Dr. Adil Alzarooni
Jim Stearns
Dr. Bhakti More
Hiba Sharfi
Dr. Dhrupad Mathur
David Miles
Laura Hughes
Kumar Verma
Arnna Graham
Hind El Aoufi
Lana AbuQulbain
Shah Amin
Husam Hammadeen
Dr. Sujith Jayaprakash
Dr. Haitham Mousa
Dr. Khloud Khalid
Benjamin Somner
Ekaterina Mukhina
Anne Mathew
Nandan Tavkar
Shivabalan Raveendran
Amruta Kshemkalyani
Eva Babic
Nicholas Bonaventure
Shehzad Jamal
Benjamin Walker
Agenda
Opening Keynote: Reimagining the School Campus: Where Education, Community & Innovation Meet
Tomorrow's schools will serve as vibrant community hubs that bring together education, wellbeing, sustainability, technology, and social connection. This keynote explores how evolving educational priorities are redefining the role of school campuses and creating environments that support students, educators, and communities alike.
Panel Discussion: Creating Great Schools Through Leadership, Design & Collaboration
Successful schools are created through the combined efforts of educators, school leaders, policymakers, architects, consultants, developers, and technology partners. This panel explores how strong leadership, innovative thinking, integrated planning, and collaborative decision-making are shaping schools that deliver outstanding learning experiences, operational excellence, and long-term value for their communities.
Networking & Coffee Break
What Does Your School Say Before Anyone Says a Word? The Power of Environment in Shaping the Student Experience
This session explores the power of the school environment in shaping student experience, perception, and behavior. It examines the messages schools communicate through their spaces before a single word is spoken.
Operational Excellence: Leading High-Performing Schools Beyond Design
Designing exceptional schools is only the beginning. Long-term success depends on strong leadership, operational strategies, campus management, and continuous improvement. This session explores how school operators create high-performing environments that enhance student experience, optimize resources, and deliver lasting value.
Future-Ready by Design: Building schools for a future we can't yet imagine
We're designing schools for a workforce we can't yet describe: uncertain, ambiguous, and changing faster than any curriculum can chase. The skills that will matter most aren't the ones most schools were built to develop: collaboration, adaptability, creativity, and the human capacities no machine can replace. This session asks what it means to design schools for more humanity, not more automation.
Networking and Coffee Break
Evolving Classroom Design: Creating Spaces for Modern Learning
As teaching practices continue to evolve, schools require learning environments that support flexibility, collaboration and engagement. Explore how classroom design is adapting to changing learning needs while creating more effective educational experiences
Embedding Sustainability Across the School Experience
Creating sustainable schools goes beyond building performance. Explore how campus design, operations, student engagement and environmental initiatives are helping schools create a culture of sustainability while enhancing learning and community impact.
Closing of the Conference
Networking
Lunch Buffet
Opening Keynote: The Future of Education: Preparing Schools for a New Era
Education is entering a period of rapid transformation driven by technological innovation, changing student expectations, evolving teaching practices, and new workforce demands. This keynote examines how schools must evolve to remain relevant and how these shifts are influencing the design, planning, and operation of tomorrow's educational environments.
Enhancing Education through Technology Integration
This session will explore how educational technologies can enhance learning and develop student understanding in modern education settings. It will examine emerging technologies, the challenges institutions face in implementing and managing them, and concerns around their impact on teachers. The session will also address how students can be supported in using these tools correctly and effectively.
Climate-Responsive & Net Zero Schools
Creating sustainable schools requires more than reducing energy consumption. Gain practical insights into climate-responsive design, passive strategies, renewable energy integration, low-carbon materials, and regional sustainability frameworks that support healthier, more resilient educational environments.
Panel Discussion: Delivering High-Performance Schools Through Integrated Design, Sustainability & Smart Infrastructure
High-performing schools require more than good design—they demand collaboration throughout planning, construction, and operations. This panel explores how integrated design, sustainable strategies, smart building systems, and lifecycle thinking are creating educational campuses that remain efficient, adaptable, and resilient for years to come.
Networking & Coffee Break
Why GCC international schools look like hospitals – The education design identity crisis
International schools are proliferating but school campus design remains the least inspiring building typology in the GCC. Why? What can we do about it?
Master Planning & Designing Educational Campuses for Thriving Communities
Creating successful educational campuses requires a balance between strategic planning, thoughtful design, and long-term flexibility. Discover how master planning, architecture, landscape, and infrastructure are working together to create adaptable campuses that respond to changing educational needs while strengthening community engagement.
Networking and Coffee Break
Modernising School Façades Without Disrupting Learning
Upgrading existing school façades presents unique operational and logistical challenges. Practical approaches to modernising building envelopes while maintaining continuity of education, improving building performance, enhancing student comfort and supporting long term sustainability goals.
Beyond the Purchase Price: The Real Cost of School Acquisition.
Evaluating Existing School Acquisitions: Balancing Catchment Demand, Property Value and Building Condition to Determine Whether Acquisition Outperforms New Build Development
Closing of the Conference
Networking & Buffet
Who Will You Meet?
Government Authorities
Consultants
Sports Tech Companies
Colleges & Universities
Architects & Urban Planners
Real Estate & School Developers
Technology & AI Solution Providers
Private & Public School Groups
Playground Equipment Companies
Landscape Environment Specialists
Urban Infrastructure Authorities
PE & Sports Associations
Key Themes
Sustainable Green School Construction
Smart Sports Facility Planning & Design
Inclusive Playgrounds & Green Spaces
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
Designing Collaborative Learning Spaces
Smart HVAC & Energy Management
Acoustics And Biophilic Design
Retrofitting and Energy-Efficiency
BIM for Digital School Construction
Architecture and Outdoor Learning Environments
Future-Ready School Infrastructure
BIM for Digital School Construction
Who Should Exhibit / Sponsor
Smart Construction & Architecture Firms
HVAC & Smart Building Controls
Lighting & Energy Management Systems
Interior Design, Furniture & Paints
Pumps, Pipes & Water Management
Playground, Turf & Recreational Equipment
Smart Classroom & AV Solutions
EdTech & AI-Based Learning Platforms
ICT, Cloud & Network Providers
Security & Access Control Systems
Sports Tech & Wellness Infrastructure
ICT, Cloud & Network Providers
Registration
Contact Us
Venue Info
Dubai - Riyadh
Email Address
connect@worldlinkconferences.com
Contact No
+971 55 469 3963
What Our Attendees Have to Say
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Neel Eonathon
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Leslie Alexander
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