Source: Arab News

Library21 MEA Holdings Limited, a UAE-based education technology (edtech) company, has announced the acquisition of Inspirational Development Group (IDG), a UK-born leadership and business performance consultancy company.

IDG is also known for its two-decades-old partnership with the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.

Omar Farooqui, founder and president of Library21 MEA, which was formerly known as Coded Minds, said that IDG’s strategic acquisition expands the company’s geographical footprint in the UK, Oman, India and South Africa.

Library21 MEA, which started three years ago in the UAE, provides blended edtech iSteam and leadership education in six different countries, to over 60,000 students belonging to more than 55 nationalities.

This is the second major international acquisition by Library21 MEA, which also acquired a leading stem education company in Canada and in the US last year.

“With this acquisition (IDG), we now effectively offer a full suite of PreK to grey education in 12 countries across the globe. We are primed to grow 10-fold within the next year or so, and this acquisition will further ensure that,” Farooqui said.

IDG has catered to more than 30,000 C-suite executives, graduates starting their careers as well as high potential school students identified as future leaders and innovators worldwide.

This also includes international companies across continents in different parts of the world, such as HSBC, Barclays and Saudi Aramco, in addition to government programs worldwide, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Kuwait.

“We enjoy a long-standing exclusive partnership with the Royal Military Academy, where some of our programs are delivered and more importantly, where we are able to draw upon key leadership performance methodologies honed over 200 years,” Peter Turpie, managing director of IDG in the UAE, said.

“Joining the Library21 group presents a fantastic opportunity. We share the same ambition to build the next generation of leaders across the globe through high-quality learning experiences that are fun, innovative and accessible,” Turpie added.

“The year 2020 has brought about many challenges to companies worldwide but we have used this opportunity to reaffirm our business model and drive to make education a right and not a privilege by bringing best in class offerings to the masses,” Farooqui said.