The Global Educational Supplies and Solutions show, held in Dubai, will hope to attract at least 600 brands and institutions, according to organisers.

“2019 is the year we start getting into other countries, starting with the GCC countries”

Now in its 12th year, GESS positions itself as a showcase for products from edtech (including VR, AR and mobile technology) to classroom and schools infrastructure, similar to BETT in London, for the Middle East and Gulf nations and markets.

“The region continues to be an attractive market for education-focused brands as schools in both the public and private sectors continue to invest in products and solutions that help teachers and students achieve better performance,” said Matt Thompson, project director at the show’s organisers, Tarsus F&E.

The trade show is used for regional companies to expand, and for firms from further afield to access the Middle East sector.

“2019 is the year we start getting into other countries, starting with the GCC countries. We believe that the edtech market is going to increase in the coming years,” said Othman Al Mandhari, Founder and CEO of Omani start-up InnoTech.

And it’s not just regional firms taking the opportunity to exhibit in the Gulf. Charles Wood of CENTURY Tech explained how important the region is for the British firm.

“The Middle East – in particular the UAE – is our second largest market after the UK. The advanced nature of the schools in the region means that it’s an enormous growth market for our company – the leading artificial intelligence (AI) business in the UK,” said Wood, the AI learning platform’s partnership manager.

UAE’s Ministry of Education is a key organiser of the event, and the state-owned public transport firm Emirates Transport (which is separate from the airline with the same name) is also listed as a sponsor.