Senior educators, innovation leads and safeguarding specialists join this year’s programme as GESS Dubai reframes its return around the ideas that actually change a teacher’s classroom 

Dubai, Oct 8, 2026: As Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai 2026 returns to Dubai World Trade Centre from November 10-12, 2026, this year’s theme centres on the role of new ideas, practical tools and professional exchange in shaping teaching and learning. Built around a simple premise that the ideas that change education rarely start as strategy, but as a spark, a session, a conversation or a tool that gives a teacher a genuinely new way to do their job, this year’s theme, ‘The Spark,’ puts that moment and the educators behind it at the centre of the event. It is a thread that GESS Dubai has built across this year’s programme, from curriculum design to classroom AI.  

Frances Powell, Director of Human Potential at GEMS SRI, who opens this year’s Leaders in Education stream with a session on curriculum design, says: “The best curriculum decisions do not come from a policy document. They come from teachers trying something different, seeing a child switch back on and become engaged again, then thinking creatively about what might work next. That’s what ‘The Spark’ should be about – giving teachers the confidence to try something new on Monday morning and making a real difference for children in our care.” 

That same instinct of testing an idea against what actually helps a teacher, rather than what looks impressive is what runs through this year’s approach to artificial intelligence. 

Zaineb Mahdi, Director of Technology & Innovation at GEMS School of Research and Innovation, says: “AI can automate a lot of what happens in a classroom, but it cannot replace the relationships and judgement a good teacher brings. My session explores what happens as that boundary starts to shift, what we should hand over to AI, what we shouldn’t, and what it means to be an outstanding teacher when technology can do more than ever before.” 

Zahra Shelke, Founding Head of Innovation and Digital Learning at Arcadia Global School, Dubai, says: “’What is the purpose of this technology?’ For me, that is the question I want teachers walking the floor at GESS Dubai to ask. Not simply ‘what does this do?’, but ‘what could this genuinely change for me and my students on a regular school day?’ That is where purposeful technology begins – when it has a clear reason for being there and makes a meaningful difference to teaching and learning.” 

That same test, not what’s new, but what it changes; is one some school leaders have already put into practice. 

Dr. Vanda Gammoh, Campus Director at American Gulf School, Sharjah, says: “We did not set out to build an AI strategy, rather we set out to stop guessing which students needed help before it was too late. The AI came after; it’s a tool, not the point. If GESS Dubai gives more school leaders that same starting point, it will have done its job.” 

On the exhibition floor 

That same energy will play out directly on the exhibition floor, where GESS Dubai 2026 brings teachers face to face with the companies building those ideas. A new Startup Spotlight pitch competition gives six selected education start-ups the chance to present live to a panel of leading education investors and decision-makers, with access to live feedback, dedicated pitch coaching, networking with Education Investment MENA attendees, and exposure to potential customers and partners. The accompanying Start-up Pavilion will showcase 45 cutting-edge education start-ups, with confirmed exhibitors including Assessment Works, Tradie Roo, Taaleem For Publishing and Brain Venture Mind Abilities Development Centre. 

A new Design & Build Zone has been created for school leaders rethinking their physical learning spaces, with exhibitors including Kidzink and Guidecraft among others. The British Pavilion has expanded this year following strong interest from UK-based suppliers, continuing its role as a cornerstone of the show for cutting-edge educational technology and resources from leading UK companies. 

The Early Years and Sustainability & Wellbeing Pavilions are on course to be their largest yet, welcoming back exhibitors including Chapters & Co and Terra Expo City alongside newcomers such as Montessori Language and Tempera Professional Development. New EdTech and AI in Education pavilions join the show floor for the first time in 2026, following demand seen in those two pavilions last year.  

The wider programme also includes the 13th annual GESS Education Awards, taking place on November 11, 2026, at The Conrad Hotel Dubai. The awards span 30 categories across two broad groups, namely suppliers and distributors, and teachers, schools and education professionals. This year’s edition has attracted 1,200+ entries from 70 countries, with winners selected by an independent panel of education experts. 

GESS Dubai 2026 takes place at Sheikh Saeed Halls. Registration is free for education professionals. Visit www.gessdubai.com for the full agenda and registration.