Ferryhill School’s Business Studies department have just recently returned from a visit to Dubai, which was funded by the Turing Scheme.
Ten students from Year 10 were selected to visit and complete a project to investigate the rapid change in business, technology and culture in the past 50 years in the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. It is also considered one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, claiming a population increase from 20,000 people to 3.5 million people.
Dubai has changed from an 18th century small fishing village on the edge of the desert to become a wealthy centre for regional and international trade. It is now a global business hub with many international businesses locating there.
The students began to conduct research for the project before they left the UK and they continued their research and completed a project whilst in Dubai. They visited Gems First Point the Villa International school and were able to speak to international students comparing school life to school in the UK.
“Our students observed lessons and they were provided with a tour of their amazing facilities,” said Assistant Headteacher, Mr Handley. “The staff at the school were complimentary of our students and said they were very mature and polite. Whilst in Dubai they also visited the British University in Dubai which is partnered with the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. The students received a lecture from Dr Amer Alaya about the growth and development in Dubai, and were shown around the campus. The lecture was incredibly informative and really helped with the project that they completed.
“The students were also able to spend some time visiting many of Dubai’s major tourist attractions and take in the city’s amazing sites. They enjoyed an informative tour of old and new Dubai that included the Blue Mosque, Old Dubai and they were able to travel across the creek on an Abrar and sample the spices in the spice souk. The main tourist attractions the students enjoyed were the world’s tallest building, the 828 metre (2,717ft) tall Burj Khalifa, Dubai Frame, Expo City, the Dubai Mall and fountains. The visit provided the students the opportunity to experience a desert safari and explore the Bedouin camps and a river cruise to observe the vast sky scrapers around the marina.”
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