Knowledge Fund Establishment reports 47.2% investment growth in 2023

The market value of the investment portfolio managed by the Knowledge Fund Establishment reached AED 1.01 billion at the end of 2023, marking a 47.2 per cent increase from the end of 2022.

It allocated more than 2.8 million square feet of educational assets in Dubai for investors and operators in the education sector in 2023, a 211 per cent increase from 2022 and are expected to serve over 18,000 students through the forthcoming launch of educational projects including schools and early education centres offering British, Indian, French and American curricula.

The assets cover various geographical areas in Dubai, distributed strategically to serve the largest possible segment of the community. These areas include Nad Al Sheba, Al Barsha, Al Khawaneej, Al Twar, Nad Hessa, Mizhar, Al Nahda, and Al Ruwayyah.

The Knowledge Fund manages an extensive investment portfolio dedicated to strengthening education and knowledge-based initiatives within the emirate. The Fund's strategic approach to portfolio management, encompassing investment diversification and the pursuit of new, promising investment opportunities set the stage for the portfolio's sustainable growth.

Educational initiatives managed by the Knowledge Fund Establishment, including Dubai Schools with its three branches (Mirdif, Nad Al Sheba, and Al Barsha), have recorded significant achievements this year, reporting a 31 per cent increase in student enrolment compared to 2022, with a total of 2,580 new students from 38 nationalities. 

The Dubai Schools project operates under the oversight of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. This demonstrates Sheikh Hamdan’s commitment to empowering future generations, meeting their requirements, and enabling them to innovate and positively contribute to shaping the future.

The Fund also offered AED50 million worth of scholarships to over 2,200 students in Dubai schools across various academic stages, who met the eligibility criteria in 2023.

On a similar note, the Knowledge Fund allocated more than AED 14 million for scholarships to outstanding Emirati students under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Distinguished Students Programme in 2023. The Establishment has offered over AED 62 million to support a total of 350 distinguished Emirati students since the Programme’s launch in 2017.

In terms of partnerships, the Knowledge Fund Establishment sought to strengthen collaboration with various government and private entities to support the education sector in the emirate, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Literature Foundation to launch the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative, which aims to promote a love of reading among students by implementing an integrated strategy in schools across the emirate.

It also collaborated with the Dubai Future District Fund to sponsor the Fund Manager Training Programme, one of the world’s most prominent interactive practical programmes focusing on investment portfolio management, offering an in-depth learning experience on how to develop an integrated strategy for managing investment funds.

The Knowledge Fund Establishment launched its 2023-2025 strategic plan at the beginning of last year, with the primary aim of strengthening Dubai’s position as an attractive hub for global educational investments. The Establishment set ambitious strategic goals focused on enhancing sustainability within the investment portfolio it manages, while meeting the needs of investors in the education sector by efficiently allocating assets and managing educational initiatives in the emirate to serve the community.

The Knowledge Fund Establishment allocated more than 2.8 million square feet of educational assets in #Dubai in 2023, a 211% increase compared to 2022.
The assets are expected to serve over 18,000 students in the emirate through the forthcoming launch of educational projects… pic.twitter.com/8eodsAbIeZ

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 5, 2024