In the Middle East, this market is poised to grow at a rate of 9.64 percent from this year to 2032, according to research from IMARC Group. With high internet penetration and demand for tailored learning experiences, edtech tools provide a way to meet the changing preferences of both learners & educators. Alef Education is a leading name that offers AI-powered solutions that help improve educational outcomes.
In a region embracing transformative growth in education, the solutions they offer address opportunities to enhance digital literacy, bridge skill gaps, and support teacher development. Their products play a pivotal role in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for learners across the region.
In this interview, Dr. Aishah Al Yammahi, strategic advisor at Alef Education, highlights the company’s role in transforming education through AI-powered offerings such as Alef Pathways and the Alef AI Tutor. She also talks about forming strategic partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders and expanding their footprint from the UAE into Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.
Alef Education operates across diverse markets, including the UAE, the U.S., Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. How do your solutions support the economic goals of the markets you’re in, especially in the Middle East?
Education plays a significant role in empowering societies and unlocking their full potential. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), closing a 1-grade gap can boost GDP by 0.58 percent to 0.75 percent annually. Our AI-powered solutions offer personalized learning experiences that enhance educational outcomes while making quality education more accessible and inclusive.
This approach not only improves academic achievement but also ensures that a larger segment of the population can access quality education. Additionally, our solutions are designed to equip young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the evolving job market, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their economies.
In the UAE, for instance, our platforms support the nation’s vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy by fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity among students. This aligns with national strategies such as the UAE Centennial 2071, which aims to prepare young minds for the digital age.
How is the company ensuring that its AI-driven offerings remain inclusive, adaptive, and effective in addressing diverse educational needs?
We have adopted a multi-faceted approach to ensure that our AI-powered solutions remain inclusive, relevant, and effective. To this end, our platforms feature user-friendly interfaces that are compatible with a wide range of devices and designed to accommodate various learning styles, ensuring that all students can engage with the content effectively. We also have a dedicated team of data scientists who play a crucial role in this effort. They constantly research and examine various aspects of education data to not only identify and address learning gaps but also allow us to analyze broader trends. This leads to the development of new learning methodologies that empower students to reach their full potential. A prime example of our inclusive approach is the localized version of our flagship product, the Alef Platform, specifically designed for Indonesia. The tailored solution offers mathematics, Arabic, and English courses in Bahasa Indonesia, which is the national language. This adaptation has ensured that our solution is culturally relevant and linguistically accessible, helping students engage more effectively with the content.
What do you think are the most pressing education issues in the region, both in terms of public and private education, and how can your EdTech solutions address them?
The region’s educational landscape is facing several challenges. Be it digital literacy gaps, skill shortages, inadequate teacher training, or unequal access to quality education, these issues hinder student performance, as reflected in underperformance on international assessments like PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS.
For instance, the average score for Arab countries in the PISA exams is 406 points, well below the OECD average of 480, while the TIMSS and PIRLS reports show similar gaps in mathematics,
science, and reading. One of the most critical aspects of improving educational outcomes is addressing the literacy gap, particularly in the Arabic language. Cognitive science insights emphasize that reading fluency and accuracy play a crucial role in the ability of students to comprehend more complex texts. Therefore, improving reading fluency is a foundational step in raising student performance across all subjects. Keeping this in mind, Alef Education, in collaboration with MetaMetrics®, is developing Miqyas Al Dhad. It is an innovative framework designed to advance the literacy skills of Arabic speakers across the Arab world.
Read more: Abu Dhabi’s Alef Education posts $67.79 million in adjusted profit before tax in H1 2024
Over the years, you’ve demonstrated substantial reach and efficacy across the region and globally. Can you highlight some key achievements or success stories that showcase your impact? What are the key strategies behind these milestones?
We have achieved several milestones from the very beginning of our journey, including our expansion into the U.S. market in 2018, followed by Indonesia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. In 2019, we secured a long-term partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and have since collaborated with various entities and educational institutions across the UAE. Our platforms are now available in 100 percent of public schools in Abu Dhabi and 40 percent of private schools across the UAE. So far, we have reached over 1.1 million students and partnered with approximately 7,000 schools globally. In terms of success stories, our flagship AI-powered Alef Platform has demonstrated remarkable results. It has helped ESSA Tier 2 students in Abu Dhabi achieve a 12.1 percent improvement in final exams conducted by the Ministry of Education. In Indonesia, the platform has helped ESSA Tier 4 students achieve an 8.5 percent performance boost, while ESSA Tier 3 students recorded a 13.3 percent increase in Arabic diagnostic test scores in Morocco. Our other solutions, such as Alef Pathways and the Alef AI Tutor, have boosted the performance of students by 5.67 percent and 4.18 percent, respectively.
I believe our strength lies in our ability to harness AI, machine learning, big data analytics, and gamification, as well as forge strategic collaborations with players from public and private sectors.
In your opinion, what will be the next wave of innovation in EdTech? What will it involve? What will Alef Education’s role be in this new phase of innovation in the EdTech ecosystem?
The next wave of innovation in education will be driven by AI and immersive technologies. This will further redefine how educators teach and students learn. I believe AI will continue to play a significant role in tailoring educational content to individual student needs, ensuring efficiency and engagement. Additionally, the emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL) and data analytics will empower educators to make informed, holistic decisions for student development.
As a UAE-based global leader in education technology, we are committed to integrating innovative technologies to create personalized learning experiences that prepare students for the future global workforce.
