Dubai Knowledge Village, Academic City See 24% Growth

Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) have announced growth figures of 24 per cent for the year, thanks to the arrival of businesses from the education, human resources and recruitment sectors.

The new companies, which include 80 new human resources and education institutes, have pushed the number of businesses across both parks to 564.

The latest names to move into DKV and DIAC include global recruitment firms Carmichael Fisher MEA and Antal International, the Protocol School of Washington and the world’s largest HR association, SHRM MEA.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director of TECOM’s Education Cluster – which incorporates both business parks – said: “We are delighted to welcome our new partners into the fold as we continue to support the development of a diversified knowledge-based economy.

“Whilst 2012 has been a very good year for us, we are not resting on our laurels as there is still plenty of work to do – particularly in addressing some of the skills gaps identified across the region.

“Our focus for the next few years is to work closely with our existing and new partners to provide academic and training programmes that cater to the demands of the regional workforce,” he added.

As well as the newcomers, existing businesses in DKV and DIAC have added to the growth through their own expansion, with University of Wollongong Dubai and Middlesex University significantly increasing their presence thanks to increased student numbers.

The news of DIAC and DKV’s growth follows a recent study carried out by the business parks in association with Deloitte, which revealed that the UAE is the fourth most attractive education destination in the world for students looking to study abroad, beating the likes of China, Singapore and Australia.