Dubai Cares and Microsoft join forces to bring million children in developing countries into digital age

The Dubai Cares-Microsoft Digital Initiative was announced during a special signing ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

The joint digital initiative will provide access to technology that helps developing the knowledge and skills necessary for the 21st century workplace for students, teachers and communities within the next 5 years.

The programme will raise the level of computer literacy among school staff and parents in needy communities, helping teachers foster a culture of innovation among students.

The initiative will result in a dramatic increase in the availability of quality education and demonstrate how technology can enhance learning and improve educational systems in the least developed parts of the world.

His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Executive Office in Dubai Government said: 'Dubai Cares seeks to be a forerunner of knowledge, dispelling the darkness of ignorance by giving needy children in poor countries firm hope for their future and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. Only through education can they assume their rightful position as positive contributors to the prosperity of their communities and countries'.

In the programme's first phase, Microsoft will help to establish Learning Resource Centres that will serve as community based e-learning hubs for students, teachers and communities.

The next phase will enable Dubai Cares and concerned governments to launch targeted PC campaigns for students, teachers and communities that will help in enabling an effective learning environment with the relevant software, capacity development, and educational curricula.

'This partnership with Dubai Cares grows out of our belief that the public and private sectors must work together to foster local innovation and promote economic growth,' said Gates. 'We look forward to working with Dubai Cares to help provide technology and skills training that can lead to the creation of new jobs and new opportunities'.

Microsoft offers a wide variety of educational resources including tools, teacher training programmes and best practices that broaden access to technology and help educators effectively use technology for teaching and learning purposes.

It currently runs two digital inclusion programmes on a global scale to bring the benefits of technology to 250 million under-served people worldwide.

Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Cares raised more than $1bn to help educate children in poor countries.

The campaign is Dubai's contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of providing primary education to every child by 2015.