School of Coding & AI (SoC) is set to open its first Middle East campus later this year as part of its international expansion plans.
The Wolverhampton-based education and skills provider is investing £3 million into the new operation, which will be based in Dubai Media City and is due to open in March, with the first student intake expected in May.
The Dubai campus will look to upskill around 2,000 students from the UAE and overseas through flexible programmes focused on AI, computer science and digital skills, alongside university progression pathways.
The expansion has been backed by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), with SoC founder and chief executive Manny Athwal recently taking part in a UK-led trade mission to the UAE.
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The opening of our Dubai campus is an exciting next step in our journey to become a global player in the AI and computer science education field,” said Athwal.
“As School of Coding & AI continues to expand internationally, the Gulf region represents a significant opportunity for us to bring UK excellence in tech education, AI learning and university pathways to a region that is hungry for innovation and rapid development.
“I want to thank all of my team in the UK and around the world, as well as the Dubai government for allowing us to open our campus there.
“I also want to thank the UK Government – in particular the Department for Business and Trade – for supporting us throughout our journey.”
UK Trade Minister, Chris Bryant, added: “This investment demonstrates our growing partnership with the UAE and commitment to support businesses looking to expand globally.
“With a renewed drive as part of our International Education Strategy, and digital and technologies as a key sector in our modern Industrial Strategy, we look forward to continuing to work with UK companies to charge growth, unlock investment in areas like AI, and increase education exports to the world.”
The announcement follows a year of growth for SoC in 2025, which included the opening of a £2.5m advanced tech lab in Birmingham, redevelopment of its Wolverhampton headquarters and recognition of Athwal as one of the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders.
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