Iris Ceramica Group opens new gallery in Dubai with exhibition on invisible design

Dubai is preparing to become a global hub for school esports by hosting the first international esports tournament open to students from all types of educational institutions, including public, state-funded, and private schools.

Registration has opened for the event named 'EGAMES DUBAI27'. This tournament will bring together students from various countries who can compete in esports competitions, represent their schools and nations, and fight for the title of EGAMES World Champion.

The initiative was developed jointly by Varkey Group and British Esports Federation with the support of national esports federations and educational institutions. Fourteen national esports federations have already confirmed their participation in the competition, including the Emirates Esports Federation, and more organizations are expected to join in the coming months.

The first live final will take place at GEMS School of Research & Innovation (SRI) in Dubai in April 2027. This event will introduce an international school level of competition to the emirate, which continues to strengthen its position in the global gaming and esports industry.

For students, this competition is positioned not just as an opportunity to demonstrate gaming skills. Organizers emphasize that it will help young people develop qualities such as teamwork, communication, resilience, and digital skills, while also introducing them to career opportunities in gaming, technology, and related fields.

Students enrolled in the 2026/27 academic year can participate. To qualify for the finals in Dubai, participants must first go through national tournaments organized by the respective country's esports federation.

The live championship will feature three disciplines: EA SPORTS FC 27, Rocket League, and a Minecraft building tournament. Winning teams will receive medals and other awards, including scholarships, experience participating in the Esports Nations Cup, and new equipment for school facilities.

Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of Varkey Group and Gems Education, stated that the goal of this initiative is to provide young people with opportunities for interaction and learning through competition. He noted: 'Our goal is to bring young people from all over the world together, giving them the chance to learn, connect, create, compete, and lead.'

He added that the idea was to help students realize how the skills gained in esports can translate into opportunities beyond gaming. 'We want students to see how the skills they develop can open doors to technology, gaming, digital creativity, and much more. Their potential deserves development, and their achievements deserve recognition on the world stage.'

Gems Education, a leading global provider of K-12 education, has joined this initiative as an educational partner. Organizations from the education and technology sectors have also been invited to support the competition.

British Esports President and Gems Esports Ambassador Chester King reported that the federation has been working to establish esports as an educational and competitive opportunity for students since 2016. He referenced the success of existing school competitions, noting that the Student Champs series already attracts over 600 school teams across four disciplines, and its live finals draw hundreds of thousands of spectators.

'Now we want to develop and encourage global competition between countries, so partnering with Varkey Group was an obvious choice for launching EGAMES. We have already spoken with several leading national esports federations that run school championships in their countries,' he said.

Dubai's selection as the host city comes amid growing investments in gaming, esports, and youth talent development. The emirate is actively expanding its gaming ecosystem through programs such as the Dubai Programme for Gaming 2033, launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence.

Other efforts include a youth and education engagement program under the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, the establishment of the Dubai Gaming Committee under the Dubai Media Council, and the inclusion of esports in the list of priority developing sports in the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan for 2033.

Alongside the championship, organizers plan to hold an education summit for teachers, partners, and other stakeholders in Dubai. Discussions will cover esports education, digital skills, artificial intelligence, child protection, coaching, and the skills needed for youth in future careers.

The educational potential of esports has also been recognized by the Commonwealth Youth Programme, which views it as a pathway for youth engagement, employment, and digital skills development. Lane Robinson, former Head of Social Policy at the Commonwealth Secretariat, stated that esports offers youth opportunities that extend beyond entertainment. He added that Commonwealth youth ministers recognize the potential of esports in stimulating youth participation and technological innovation.

Schools, national federations, and educational partners interested in participating or supporting this initiative can find more information on the website www.egames.gg. Among the 14 federations that have confirmed participation in EGAMES DUBAI27 are representatives from the UAE, the UK, Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ireland, Jordan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, and Zimbabwe.

The Museum of the Future in Dubai plans to resume its activities in the first quarter of 2027. Although the building's exterior will remain familiar, the internal visitor experience will be entirely new.

Instead of the previous exhibitions that defined the museum since its opening in 2022, fresh exhibits, immersive environments, and new laboratories will appear. Visitors are promised a more active role in studying science, research, and potential future directions.

Azza Al Nuaimi, Chief Operating Officer of the Museum of the Future, told Khaleej Times that the museum's updated experience will have its own 'focus and direction,' rather than simply being an update of existing galleries.

According to the museum's frequently asked questions on its website, none of the current exhibits or experiences will return in the same form; they will be replaced by completely new ones, unified by a new narrative thread and a different way of interacting with the visitor.

Al Nuaimi emphasized that the goal is to make the future something visitors can do, not just represent.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore new possibilities, participate in work conducted in the laboratories, and contemplate how today's decisions can shape tomorrow's world.

The people creating this experience are also changing. The museum announced that its new recruitment campaign, 'Future Perfects,' for the visitor engagement team received over 20,000 applications in the first 48 hours alone. During staff selection, priority is given to qualities such as curiosity, imagination, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, rather than prior experience in museums or customer service.

The museum is expected to reopen around its fifth anniversary. It first opened on February 22, 2022, although the exact date of its return in 2027 has not yet been announced.

According to the museum's FAQ, tickets for the updated experience will go on sale closer to the reopening date.

For nearly five years, the museum visitor journey immersed people in the imagined year 2071 aboard the OSS Hope, through the Heal Institute and Al Waha, past emerging technologies in Tomorrow Today and Future Heroes for young guests.

When asked about the fate of these experiences, Al Nuaimi replied: 'Existing exhibitions will be dismantled to make way for new experiences.'

However, what will happen to individual exhibits is still under development. 'Decisions regarding individual exhibits will depend on their nature, condition, and potential for future use. We cannot yet confirm which elements will be preserved, relocated, reused, or decommissioned.'

The mission of a museum dedicated to the future is that the future does not stand still. Since the opening of the Museum of the Future in 2022, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and space exploration have rapidly advanced.

When asked whether this means some ideas presented four years ago already seem outdated, Al Nuaimi pointed to the 'significant' pace of change in these fields and the new questions they have raised about how technology and scientific progress will affect society and daily life.

She added: 'However, the Museum was never intended to precisely predict what the future would look like. Its goal is to explore possibilities, prompt people to question assumptions, and consider choices that can shape what is to come.'

'As new developments emerge, the way we explore these questions must also evolve. The next chapter will be built on this approach, presenting new perspectives while maintaining the curiosity and openness at the core of the Museum's mission.'

This idea is at the heart of describing the museum as a 'living museum.' A traditional museum preserves objects and stories of the past. A science center explains how something works. The Museum of the Future considers what future achievements in science and technology might mean for humanity.

In concept, its exhibitions are not meant to remain frozen in time. 'This is what we mean by a 'living museum': a place that continues to evolve with the future it seeks to explore,' said Al Nuaimi.

It is not necessarily the case. An exhibit in the museum does not have a fixed lifespan. The duration of an experience depends on the subject matter, the speed of its development, and whether new discoveries lead to a different way of studying it. 'Some themes will remain relevant in the long term, although the way they are presented may change,' noted Al Nuaimi.

Thus, although the current transformation is massive, it does not mean the entire museum will necessarily be rebuilt on a fixed cycle every few years.

People around the world are helping to shape the future. Over 1,000 ideas have been submitted about what the Museum of the Future should explore, some of which have already been incorporated into the new experience. Officials have not yet disclosed which ones were accepted.

This transformation follows the first chapter, during which the museum was visited by over five million people, and 620 events and 224 educational programs were held.

Al Nuaimi concluded that while the physical experience may change, one ambition remains constant: to create a place where people from different walks of life and disciplines can gather to contemplate the future of humanity.