Microsoft Gulf announces free software to students across UAE

Under the program, all high school and university students in the UAE will gain access to the latest Microsoft developer designer and gaming tools at no charge to unlock their creative potential and set them on the path to academic and career success. In its first phase, Microsoft DreamSpark is being piloted in partnership with Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).

Commenting on the significance of the launch, Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of HCT said:

"Education is a crucial focus area for the UAE and it is the level of investment we put in education today that will shape the economic development and future of the country. With initiatives such as Microsoft DreamSpark, we hope to energize the bright young minds at our institutions by arming them with software they need to succeed during their academic experience, drive innovation and develop the skills they need to become tomorrow's entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders."

Announcing the initiative, Walid Abu-Hadba, Corporate Vice-President, Developer and Platform Evangelism Group, Microsoft Corp. said, "We call it DreamSpark because every great technology breakthrough starts life as someone's dream or idea. We want to make sure that students have the tools to spark their own dreams plus the power to turn them into reality by doing everything we can to equip a new generation of technology leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to harness the magic of software to improve lives, solve problems and catalyze economic growth. By working with academic institutions such as HCT, Microsoft hopes to inspire students to explore the power of software and encourage them to forge the next wave of software-driven breakthroughs."

The Microsoft DreamSpark student program is aligned to Microsoft Unlimited Potential, the company's global effort to creating sustained social and economic opportunity for everyone. It makes available, at no charge, a broad range of developer, designer and gaming software tools for download. DreamSpark aims to empower students to use technology to develop websites, create games and build software or services. The following cutting-edge software is available to empower students to unlock their ingenuity and equip them with the critical skills they need to participate in today's knowledge economy.