AI and coding trainer to open new Dubai base

A West Midlands AI and coding educator has announced plans to open a new £3m campus in the Middle East.

The School of Coding and AI offers students higher-education and skills programmes in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

It plans to open the new site in Dubai Media City in March, and begin taking students from the UAE and internationally from May.

Manny Athwal, founder and CEO of the school, said the expansion, supported by the Department for Business and Trade, was "an exciting next step in our journey to become a global player in the AI and computer science education field".

The school, which began operating in 2017, opened a campus in Birmingham in early 2025 in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, offering computer science, business management, and health and social care courses, using AI "across the curriculum".

Last September, it unveiled a £2.5m "tech lab" at the campus showcasing the likes of game design facilities, a podcast room, an in-house research centre and an interactive AI avatar.

The Dubai centre has been designed to "upskill around 2,000 students.. through flexible programmes focused on AI, computer science, digital skills and university progression pathways".

"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," Athwal said.

UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant said: "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."

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