Disrupting Exclusive Education - A Conversation with Dr. Abdulla Al Karam

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and
Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority
(KHDA), is responsible for a wide spectrum of education in
Dubai’s private sector, spanning early learning, school, and
higher education and training Institutes. Dr. Abdulla has the
distinction of holding key positions across the United Arab
Emirates, as well as being a Board member of the National
Qualifications Authority, of the UAE Federal Government. He was
also appointed to the Board of the Social Sector, Government of
Dubai. He has recently been nominated a member of the Higher
Committee for Protection of the Rights of People with
Disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai. 


Previously, Dr. Abdulla held positions in various government
sectors, including: Vice Chairman and Secretary General, Hamdan
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic
Performance; Chairman of the Dubai Government’s Human Resources
Committee, which was set up as the link between human resources
programmes and initiatives and Dubai’s goals and strategic
priorities; Board member, Dubai Knowledge Fund, which seeks to
effectively participate in developing Dubai’s knowledge capital
through profitably managing funds. 


He was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda
Council on Education 2010. Prior to the formation of KHDA, Dr.
Abdulla held the post of CEO of Dubai Knowledge Village, which
ushered in the International Branch Campus, with a remit to
diversify the educational landscape in Dubai. Before that, Dr.
Abdulla headed the Research Unit at Dubai Internet City and began
his career working as a software engineer in the United States
and France. 


Dr. Abdulla holds a PhD in computer engineering from the
University of South Carolina.


Social Links


Twitter: @khda


LinkedIn: knowledge-&-human-development-authority