Ankabut-PowerSchool Pact Advances UAE K-12 Digital Education

Ankabut, the UAE’s advanced technology provider for the education and research ecosystem, has entered a strategic partnership with PowerSchool, a global leader in K-12 education technology that serves more than 60 million students across over 90 countries. The collaboration will bring PowerSchool’s connected operating system to UAE schools through Ankabut’s sovereign infrastructure, giving both public and private institutions access to proven digital tools while keeping sensitive student and institutional data securely within the country.

The partnership was formally marked at an event held at ERTH Abu Dhabi Hotel on 22 September 2026, attended by representatives from PowerSchool and Ankabut’s K-12 customers. Under the agreement, PowerSchool will deliver its Student Information System (SIS), which will operate inside Ankabut’s data centre at Khalifa University. This arrangement ensures that all student and school data remains hosted in the UAE, aligning directly with the nation’s priorities on data sovereignty and the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence in education.

Tarek Jundi, CEO of Ankabut, highlighted the practical value of the collaboration. “AI is changing how students learn and how teachers teach, and schools need digital infrastructure that keeps pace,” he said. “Our partnership with PowerSchool means UAE schools get access to leading digital tools without compromising on data sovereignty. That’s the balance schools are asking us for today technology they can build on, and data they can trust.”

PowerSchool’s solutions will run on Ankabut’s national infrastructure, combining globally recognised education technology with local hosting. Several of the tools already offer localised features tailored to the UAE context, including Arabic language support, right-to-left interfaces and compatibility with the Hijri calendar. PowerSchool has maintained a regional presence in Dubai since 2023, complementing Ankabut’s role as the UAE’s National Research and Education Network.

The partnership addresses a growing operational challenge facing schools. As institutions consolidate multiple systems and introduce AI-driven tools, day-to-day management has become increasingly complex. By placing core functions under a single unified platform, schools can streamline administration, reduce the burden on teachers and create more time for classroom instruction. AI capabilities within the system will adapt to individual student learning styles, supporting personalised education pathways while maintaining a secure environment available to both public and private institutions.

Fadi Abdulkhalek, Vice President EMEA at PowerSchool, underlined the shared commitment. “Through our partnership with Ankabut, we’re combining globally proven education technology with trusted local infrastructure to help schools simplify operations, support personalized learning, and confidently adopt AI-powered tools,” he said. “Together, we’re committed to empowering educators, improving student outcomes, and ensuring data privacy and security remain foundational to innovation.”

The collaboration supports two central pillars of the UAE’s national strategy: accelerating the responsible use of AI in education and reinforcing data sovereignty by keeping sensitive information within national borders rather than overseas data centres. By hosting the Student Information System inside Ankabut’s facility at Khalifa University, the partners provide schools with a clear assurance that student records, academic data and institutional information remain under UAE jurisdiction.

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Beyond the technical deployment, the partnership reflects a longer-term vision. Both organisations see AI-enabled tools becoming standard practice across educational institutions, provided they are introduced within a framework that prioritises privacy, security and local relevance. The unified system is designed to connect administrative functions with classroom tools, creating a coherent digital environment that serves teachers, students and school leaders.

Ankabut brings deep experience as the UAE’s trusted education technology partner, supporting digital transformation across schools, universities and research institutions. As the national research and education network, it provides the digital backbone that enables innovation, advanced research and collaboration. PowerSchool contributes its extensive global track record in connecting central offices, classrooms and homes through integrated platforms that manage student data, instruction, assessment, analytics and college-and-career readiness.

Together, the partners aim to help UAE schools move from fragmented systems to unified, data-driven environments. This shift is expected to empower educators, enhance learner experiences and improve institutional performance while strengthening operational resilience. The local deployment model also positions the UAE as a regional reference point for how advanced education technology can be introduced without sacrificing control over national data.

The announcement comes at a time when schools across the Emirates are actively seeking scalable digital solutions that deliver measurable classroom impact. By combining Ankabut’s sovereign infrastructure with PowerSchool’s AI-powered platforms, the partnership offers a practical route for institutions to modernise operations, personalise learning and maintain the highest standards of data protection. Implementation will now focus on enabling schools to adopt the unified system and begin realising the benefits of integrated, AI-supported education technology.