Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

What Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education does

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGF) is a UAE-based non-profit foundation established in 2015 by businessman Abdulla Ahmad Al Ghurair, who pledged one-third of his wealth to endow it. The foundation operates from the Dubai International Financial Centre and is governed by a family-led Board of Trustees chaired by H.E. Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair. Its mission is to expand access to quality education and employability for Emirati and Arab youth, with programming structured around four pillars: scholarships (STEM Scholars, Open Learning Scholars), online learning (Education 360, the AUB Digital Teaching Hub, the UAE Universities Coalition), talent development (Nomu Al Ghurair, including the British Council-delivered Talaaqa English program and the Skyrize Partners-delivered Women Empowerment program), and strategic philanthropy (the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund serving Jordan and Lebanon).

AGF's product portfolio has evolved from direct scholarship disbursement toward digital platform infrastructure. The flagship technology offering is Massar Al Ghurair, an AI-powered skills platform developed with SkyHive by Cornerstone that maps user skills and matches them to job opportunities, targeting up to 45,000 beneficiaries. Supporting assets include the AUB-based digital teaching hub, the annual UAE Skills Pulse research report, and integrations with the British Council's EnglishScore assessment. Reach metrics across programs include 50,000+ Young Thinkers users, 648 STEM scholars from 17 Arab countries, and 48,000+ refugee-youth beneficiaries.

AGF is funded through a family endowment and delivers all programs free of charge to beneficiaries; there is no commercial revenue stream. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on institutional partnerships with 15+ universities, UAE federal ministries, and corporate/NGO implementers across the UAE, Jordan, and Lebanon. The foundation operates with a small core team of 1–10 staff, scaling impact primarily through partner-delivered programming rather than direct service delivery.

Name

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

Legal name

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

Website

https://alghurairfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education is a UAE non-profit foundation, established in 2015, that empowers Emirati and Arab youth through scholarships, AI-powered skills platforms, talent-development programs, and strategic philanthropy delivered via university, government, and NGO partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Philanthropy and Youth Skills Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Education philanthropy
• Youth empowerment programs
• Scholarship programs
• Skills development training
• Online learning platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding: The foundation operates as a non-profit entity funded primarily through an endowment. Founder Abdulla Al Ghurair pledged one-third of his wealth to the foundation upon establishment in 2015.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education is a philanthropic non-profit foundation that provides education, scholarships, skills development, and career-readiness programs for Arab youth, with a primary focus on Emirati and refugee youth across the MENA region. It operates multiple programs and an AI-powered digital learning platform to expand access to high-quality education and employability training.

Product overview

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGF) operates a portfolio of education and youth empowerment programs in the UAE and Arab region. The core offerings include Massar Al Ghurair (an AI-powered skills platform for workforce preparation), Nomu Al Ghurair (a talent development initiative with programs like Talaaqa for English training and Women Empowerment for management training), Education 360 (online learning initiatives including the UAE Universities Coalition and AUB Digital Teaching Hub), Strategic Philanthropy (including the Refugee Education Fund), and past scholarship programs. The foundation publishes the annual UAE Skills Pulse Report in partnership with Cornerstone OnDemand. These programs work together to empower Emirati and Arab youth through education, skills development, and career readiness, with the Massar platform using AI to match users with opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nomu Al Ghurair: Talent development initiative launched in late 2021 to empower 25,000 Emirati youth by 2025, providing training and learning opportunities linked to priority sectors in the UAE.
• Massar Al Ghurair
• Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund
• UAE Skills Pulse

Products and services

• Nomu Al Ghurair
• Massar Al Ghurair
• Talaaqa
• Nomu Women Empowerment
• Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund
• Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning

Quantifiable outcome

• Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning reached cumulative break-even by early 2025 despite Lebanon's crises
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American University of Beirut (AUB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Established the Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning at AUB's Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. The hub reached cumulative break-even by early 2025 and the university independently replicated the model across departments.
• SkyHive by CornerstonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce the UAE Skills Pulse Report and develop the Massar Al Ghurair AI-powered skills platform that aims to prepare 45,000 Emirati and Arab youth for the workforce.
• startAD (NYU Abu Dhabi)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerstartAD, anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi and powered by Tamkeen, runs the AI for Good Sandbox. AGF supported this initiative which showcased AI solutions for social impact in healthcare, education, and community welfare.
• Google.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of the AI for Good Sandbox initiative at startAD, aligned with SDG 3 and UAE's Year of Community 2025.
• TamkeenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbu Dhabi-based entity that powers the NYU Abu Dhabi startup accelerator startAD, where AGF supported AI for Good initiatives.
• British CouncilcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplemented the Talaaqa program - 18 weeks of free online Business English training with live classes, self-study activities, and British Council-endorsed certificates.
• UAE Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on UAE University Coalition for Quality Online Learning and the Young Thinkers Program launched in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
• UAE Ministry of Human Resources and EmiratisationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched the Al Ghurair Young Thinkers Program in 2018 and other talent development initiatives.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on MIT MicroMasters program, MIT Innovation Leadership Bootcamp (120 participants, Feb-Apr 2021), and blended learning project (2017-2019) with AUB and AUC.
• American University in Cairo (AUC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 2017-2019 regional blended learning capacity building project with AGF and MIT, training faculty and redesigning introductory courses.
• 15+ Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM Scholars Program partners across Arab region and beyond, providing scholarships to approximately 648 students from 17 Arab countries.
• Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2018 and managed by AGF, this fund supports educational programs for refugees and vulnerable youth in Jordan and Lebanon. Benefited 48,000+ youth and 20 organizations.
• OECD netFWDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnabled the OECD netFWD report on Philanthropy, Education & Climate trends in low- and middle-income countries.
• Skyrize PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for Nomu Al Ghurair Women Empowerment program, a 5-week fully-funded Management Training Program for Emirati students and graduates.
• Emirates College for Advanced Education, Higher Colleges of Technology, University of Sharjah, and other UAE institutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partners listed for Nomu Women program including HCT, University of Sharjah, and various corporate partners.
• Nine UAE Universities (Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAE University Coalition for Quality Online Learning includes American University in Dubai, American University of Sharjah, British University in Dubai, Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE University, University of Dubai, University of Sharjah, and Zayed University.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology): Saudi-based research university and philanthropy with extensive STEM scholarship and capacity-building programs. Comparable in STEM-scholarship funding model and university partnerships across the Arab region, though primarily a degree-granting institution rather than a grant-making foundation.
• Qatar Foundation: Much larger Gulf-state education, research, and community development foundation. Comparable in mission (education-to-employment for Arab populations) but operates at vastly larger scale, with universities, research institutes, and global initiatives beyond AGF's scope.
• UNICEF MENA Regional Office: UN agency delivering education, skills, and youth programming across the Middle East and North Africa. Comparable in regional footprint and education-access mandate, but operates at much larger scale and through government systems rather than philanthropic grants.

Others

• UNICEF Refugee Education Programs: Adjacent ecosystem participant funding refugee education in Jordan and Lebanon, where AGF's Refugee Education Fund also operates. Comparable in geography and beneficiary profile but positioned as an international development agency rather than a regional philanthropy.

Direct peers

• Education Cannot Wait: Global fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises, with active programming in Jordan and Lebanon. Directly comparable to AGF's Refugee Education Fund in target geography, refugee-youth beneficiary profile, and grant-based delivery through implementing partners.
• INJAZ Al-Arab: Regional non-profit delivering workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs to Arab youth across MENA. Comparable to AGF in beneficiary profile (youth aged 12-30), skills-development curriculum, and partnership model with ministries and corporates.
• Al Maktoum Foundation: UAE-based philanthropic foundation supporting education, knowledge, and sustainable development initiatives. Directly comparable in governance structure (UAE family foundation), educational programming, and geographic base in the UAE.
• Silatech: Qatar-based foundation focused on Arab youth employment and entrepreneurship. Highly comparable to AGF's Nomu and Massar programs: same target demographic (Arab youth), similar workforce-readiness mandate, and parallel reliance on Gulf-state philanthropic capital.
• Dubai Cares: UAE-based philanthropic foundation focused on expanding access to quality education in developing countries. Directly comparable to AGF in mission, geographic focus, partnership-driven delivery model, and target beneficiary profile of youth in low- and middle-income countries.

Regional players

• Tamkeen: Bahraini labor fund providing workforce training and employment support to Bahraini nationals. Comparable in talent-development mission and government-aligned model, though focused on Bahraini (not pan-Arab) beneficiaries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AGFforE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChsc1FpsAPEANu3R3AZ7Uhw
• Facebookfacebook.com/alghurairfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abdallah-al-ghurair-foundation-for-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/alghurairfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education