38 academic institutions in Dubai hosted range of activities in parallel with Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: KHDA and GEMS Education adopted and welcomed Special Olympics teams at a variety of schools within the GEMS Education network in the UAE. GEMS Metropole School, Dubai adopted the US team consisting of over 300 athletes, one of the largest teams in the Special Olympics being held in Abu Dhabi from March 14th 21st, 2019.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) along with Brendan Law, Senior Vice President of Education at GEMS Education, John Hughes, Principal/CEO of GEMS Metropole School and teaching staff, welcomed the athletes and engaged in fun activities with them. Some of the activities included production of footloose, drumming class with Arabic drums, the signing of Year of Tolerance bench by athletes, falconry and the creation of banners to cheer the playing sports teams on.
The event that was held at GEMS Metropole School was part of Adopt-A-Nation Program, which comes as part of the strategic projects support the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019. 38 Dubai schools participated by adopting 49 nations by dedicating a day of interactive sporting, educational, arts and crafts and cultural activities for students of determination.
Brendan Law, Senior Vice President of Education at GEMS Education said: “This is an important initiative for GEMS Education to lead activity on, as we work to become fully inclusive across all of our schools across the globe. Working with KHDA on this government scheme has helped us to set a standard for the region in maintaining inclusive policies.
“We are proud to partner with this prestigious event which is the world’s largest humanitarian sporting event and a global movement focusing on the empowerment of People of Determination with intellectual disabilities through the power of sport.”
The Hong Kong Special Olympic Team was adopted by GEMS Al Barsha National School, where 106 athletes took part in school activities along with the students. Individual GEMS Education schools hosted a roster of international delegations, who brought sports teams of determination to the UAE to participate in activities throughout the day, in the run up to the Special Olympics which will be held in Abu Dhabi.
“Special Olympics USA is honoured to be a part of today’s Unified Culture Exchange with the GEMS students, leadership and faculty. The warm welcome we received and the connections we have made this morning are extraordinary. We cannot wait to see and hear you #Cheer4USA at our athletics and swimming competitions in Dubai” said; Kathy Meagher, Director, Special Olympics USA.
The Special Olympics World Games 2019 will be hosted in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March 2019 for the first time in the Middle East North Africa. The event is under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose leadership and vision have been instrumental in bringing together public and private sector partners to be a part of this worthy cause.
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Sports teams travelled from outside of the UAE and were adopted across the region’s network of GEMS Education schools which included:
School
Country Hosted
GEMS Modern Academy
Egypt
Cambridge International AD
Cape Verde
Cambridge High School AD
Dominican Republic
Cambridge International School Dubai
Belgium
GEMS American Academy AD
Puerto Rico
GEMS World Academy AD
Uruguay
GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis
Great Britain
GEMS World Academy
Australia
Jumeirah College
Zimbabwe
Royal Dubai School
Austria
GEMS Al Barsha National School
Hong Kong
About GEMS Education:
GEMS Education is one of the world’s oldest and largest K-12 private education providers. It is a highly-regarded choice for quality private education in the Middle East and North Africa region. As a company founded in the UAE in 1959, it holds an unparalleled track-record of providing diverse curricula and educational choices to all socio-economic means. GEMS Education now owns and operates 49 schools and educates over 124,000 students in the MENA region; and through its growing network of schools as well as charitable contributions is fulfilling the founder’s vision of putting a quality education within the reach of every child.
For more information, please contact:
Yasser Alvi | Georgina Scott
ASDA'A BCW
Tel: (+971) 4 4507 600
Email: yasser.alvi@bcw-global.com | georgina.scott@bcw-global.com
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