GESS Education Awards 2026 draw record 1,200 entries

More than 1,200 schools, suppliers and education projects from 70 countries have entered this year’s GESS Education Awards, the highest number since the prize began, organiser Informa Connect said in a statement released on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Now in its 13th year, the competition has 30 categories. Its shortlist alone brings together finalists from 49 countries, and winners will be named on Nov. 11 at The Conrad Hotel Dubai, during the GESS Dubai 2026 exhibition, which opens on Nov. 10 in the Sheikh Saeed Halls of Dubai World Trade Centre and closes two days later.

The 2025 edition, according to the organiser’s post-show report, counted visitors from 94 countries, while its exhibitors numbered more than 300 brands drawn from 35 countries. Among the 2026 categories, those on inclusion and artificial intelligence attracted some of the heaviest interest.

Inclusion entries and UAE figures

Two of the shortlisted categories focus on inclusion: “SEN and Inclusive Resource/Equipment Supplier of the Year” and “Best Initiative to Promote Inclusivity”. The statement presented them against the fast growth of this field in the UAE.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development reports that the emirate went from roughly 6,000 pupils with special educational needs in 2023 to more than 13,000 a year later, a 116% increase. In Dubai, the KHDA rates 146 schools, or 74%, at “Good” or above for the way they provide for inclusion.

Policy has moved too. In May 2026, Dubai’s Higher Committee for Protection of Rights of People of Determination, chaired by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, examined KHDA-led plans to widen flexible and inclusive routes through school for students of determination. They provide a dedicated framework covering licensing and quality assurance of specialised programmes, plus new financial guidance for Emirati families.

Speaking at Education Investment MENA, the investment conference held alongside GESS Dubai, Mark Whitfield, GCC Chief Executive Officer at Outcomes First Group, said:

“Inclusion only means something if it shows up in outcomes, not just in a mission statement.”

AI tools in the running

The “Best AI Product/Tool in Education” category coincides with UAE preparations to bring AI into every school in the country, public and private alike, through the national curriculum. Some 22,000 teachers are being trained to apply it in lesson planning, assessment and teaching, the statement noted.

One finalist there is EdTool.ai (powered by Learnetic), which is also in contention for “Secondary Resource/Equipment Supplier of the Year”.

Dr Anuraag Guglaani, Chairperson at Wazir Holdings, told the same conference that AI had become “a governance question for every operator and investor in this sector.”

Sustainability and gamification in education also have their own award categories, and both topics appear on the GESS Dubai conference agenda.

New pavilions this year

Citing strong demand in 2025, the organiser is adding EdTech and AI in Education Pavilions to the exhibition for the first time.

Sarah Palmer, Brand Director at GESS, Informa, said what struck her about this year’s entries was their quality and variety, not only their number. Entry to the show costs nothing for education professionals.