Students at GEMS Modern Academy (“Modern”) have delivered another year of outstanding student performance in the ICSE Grade 10 and ISC Grade 12 Board examinations, as the school achieved a 100% pass rate across both cohorts.

Students delivered exceptional performances, with a significant proportion attaining top scores across subjects. At the ICSE level, 61.3% of students achieved above 90%, while at the ISC level, an impressive 73.7% of students scored above 90%. The school recorded strong overall averages of 90.1% for ICSE and 92.5% for ISC, reflecting sustained academic excellence.

These results further reinforce GEMS Modern Academy’s reputation as one of the UAE’s leading Indian curriculum schools, known for balancing academic rigour with a strong focus on innovation, wellbeing, and global citizenship.

Sydney Atkins, Principal of GEMS Modern Academy, said: “In a year filled with uncertainty, we knew this for sure; the collective effort of a community united in a singular purpose is stronger than any external circumstance. We are so proud of our students, our passionate and dedicated teachers, and our parents who are our biggest cheerleaders and critical friends. Because of this dream team, we are able to make our students’ dreams come true. Well done, boys and girls, we are so proud of every one of you.”

ISC Grade 12 results

• Total Strength: 175
• Pass Rate: 100%
• Batch Average: 92.5%
• 95% and above: 40% (70 students)
• 90% and above: 73.7% (129 students)
• 80% and above: 97.1% (170 Students)
• 90% and above in all five subjects: 39.4% (69 Students)
• Number of 100s: 29 (Math – 7, Chemistry – 6, Computer Science – 4, Accounts – 2, Political Science – 4, EVS – 4, Mass Media – 2)
• 175 students appeared for the ISC (Grade 12) including, 4 students with Special Education Needs. 
• Average of Students of Determination in ISC is 87.25%
• 3 Students on the KHDA Rahhal program have successfully completed their schooling through this flexible academic arrangement. 
• Girls batch average 93.1%; Boys batch average 92%

Leading the cohort with the highest score is Khyati Agarwal with 99.5%; Mukul Agarwal stood a close second with 99.25% and 6 students tied at 3rd place with 98.75%

Khyati Agarwal, has secured offers from top universities including Duke, Imperial College London, UCLA, Northwestern, and the University of Michigan said: “This year asked more of me than I thought I had and gave me even more in return. I’ll always be grateful to my Principal, supervisors, and teachers. They all taught me that consistency, faith and the support of my school, family and friends can turn a dream into a reality! I could not have asked for a better finish to the first chapter of my life. Here’s to my next.”

Mukul Agarwal, who is Modern’s first student to receive an offer from Oxford University, said: “Studying at the University of Oxford has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and I’m incredibly grateful to see that dream become a reality. This milestone would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my parents and grandparents, the guidance and encouragement of my teachers, and the constant belief they all had in me.”

ICSE Grade 10 results:

• Total Strength: 150
• Pass Rate: 100%
• Batch Average: 90.1%
• 95% and above: 20% (30 students)
• 90% and above: 61.3% (92 students)
• 80% and above: 96.7% (145 Students)
• 90% and above in all six subjects: ­22.7% (34 students)
• Number of 100s: 7 (Economics – 3, Drama – 1, Robotics and AI – 3)
• 150 students appeared for the ICSE (Grade 10) examination, including 2 students with Special Education Needs.
• Average of Students of Determination in ICSE is 81.3%
• Girls batch average 90.42 Boys batch average 90%

Geetika Pati topped the batch with 97.2% and Eshan Tikam and Medha Ratheesh tied in the second place with 96.6%.

Reflecting on her achievement, Geetika Pati, said: “My learning experience at GMA has been a very fruitful one. This was not my journey alone but one of my parents, my teachers who are willing to push you forward at every turn, and everyone who has been there for me throughout this year. I dedicate this victory to my family and GMA.”

GEMS Modern Academy, which is celebrating 40 years of excellence this year, continues to set benchmarks in delivering a balanced education that nurtures both academic capability and personal growth.

Nargish Khambatta, Executive Vice President – Education, GEMS Education, added: “Good results are not achieved perchance. Each accomplishment represents hours of consistent effort and patience, supported by a committed team of teachers, parents and leadership team all working towards the same goal. Maintaining this level of disciplined focus for 40 years is testament to a culture of excellence that has been carefully nurtured over the years keeping the children at the heart of all our decisions. Congratulations on yet another set of excellent results that validates Team Modern! Bravo!”

Graduates from the school consistently secure placements at leading universities worldwide, pursuing diverse pathways across disciplines.

People spend around 90% of their time indoors, yet many still underestimate how deeply interior environments shape the way they think, feel, and function. A home can sharpen the mind or quietly weaken it. It can create calm, or increase tension in ways that are not always immediately visible. This is why human-centric design has become one of the most important priorities in architecture and interiors today.

At NKEY Architects, this shift is becoming increasingly clear across residential projects. Clients are looking for spaces that are more than simply beautiful. They want homes that support mood and support daily life.

Here are four factors shaping that shift today.

The Psychology of Space

Wellness-focused residential properties are now commanding a 10% to 25% price premium over traditional homes. Light, colour, scale, and spatial order all influence emotional state, mental clarity, and even decision making.

Cooler tones may help support focus and alertness, while warmer, deeper shades tend to create a stronger sense of comfort and ease. A room can be visually impressive, but if it feels chaotic, it can still be mentally exhausting. By contrast, spaces with clear zoning and balanced proportions often feel calmer and easier to live in.

Behaviour-driven Design

The best interiors are built around how people actually move, pause, gather, work, and rest. Rather than treating layout as a visual exercise, designers are thinking more carefully about how spaces guide behaviour throughout the day.

Open-plan zones can encourage communication and togetherness, while quieter enclosed areas create room for privacy and focus. Ceiling height can also influence the way people think, with higher ceilings often linked to abstract thinking and lower, more intimate spaces supporting concentration and detail.

Sensory Experience in Interiors

Proximity to natural elements such as greenery and sunlight has been associated with a 15% increase in reported wellbeing and creativity, alongside a 6% increase in productivity.

Texture, acoustics, lighting, materiality, and tonal balance all shape how a room is felt on a physical and emotional level. Harsh lighting, reflective finishes, poor acoustics, and strong contrast can create overstimulation, irritation, or even avoidance of space. Softer transitions, tactile surfaces, controlled lighting, and warmer tones make a space feel more comfortable and easier to inhabit.

Flow, Structure, and Emotional Stability

If movement between zones feels awkward, if transitions are abrupt, or if the layout disrupts the rhythm of daily life, the overall experience becomes disjointed. Flow is what allows a space to feel natural rather than forced.

Structure also plays an important psychological role. In this context, masculinity in design is not about visual heaviness, but about direction, clarity, and control. A space without a clear centre can feel beautiful yet unfocused. A space with a strong axis, controlled paths, and a sense of spatial direction can create stability, physical alignment, and calm confidence.

Human-centric design is no longer an added extra. It is becoming the foundation of how meaningful homes are shaped. That means creating spaces that are visually refined and aligned with the people living in them. The strongest interiors do not simply look luxurious. They support clarity, confidence, and the way life is actually lived.

The Middle East’s consumer technology market is in the middle of a remarkable run.
Smartphone shipments across the region grew 13 percent in 2025, marking a third consecutive year of growth. Ramadan alone now accounts for 15 percent of annual technology and durables sales across MENA. By any measure, the opportunity is significant.

But headline growth can hide an uncomfortable truth. The way consumers in this region evaluate and choose a technology brand has fundamentally changed. Brands still running the old playbook, buying reach from celebrity and mega influencers, measuring success in gross impressions, and treating the GCC as a single audience, are leaving both conversion and credibility on the table.

Mariam Abouzeid
PR & Influencer Marketing Manager, MEA, Nothing Technology

Having managed PR ecosystems generating billions of impressions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond, I have seen this shift unfold in real time.

The data is clear. The market has moved. Many marketing strategies have not.

In today’s GCC market, attention is easy. Credibility is rare.

Beyond the Bigger-is-Better Logic

For most of the last decade, the dominant logic in technology marketing across the region was simple. Bigger reach meant better results. Secure the highest-reach influencers, maximize impressions, and sales will follow.

That logic made sense when social media behaved like a broadcast channel. Today it does not.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are now among the most digitally saturated markets in the world. Social media penetration in the UAE has reached 111 percent of the population, while Saudi Arabia counts 34.1 million social media identities for a population of 34.7 million.

In markets this connected, audiences are no longer passive viewers. They are sophisticated, fast-moving, and deeply skeptical of content that does not feel earned.

Reach alone is no longer influence.

The Power of the Micro-Influencer By the Numbers

The consequences for influencer marketing are measurable. Macro influencers typically achieve engagement rates of around 1.7 percent. Nano influencers, those with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers, consistently deliver engagement rates of 6 to 8 percent in the UAE market.

When cost per engagement is considered, micro-influencer campaigns cost roughly $0.20 per interaction compared with $0.33 for macro campaigns. More importantly, they routinely deliver 5 to 8 times the return on investment, compared with the 3 to 5 times range typical of macro campaigns. The conclusion is simple.

Reach creates visibility. Trust creates action.

The Shift from Search to Social Feed

To understand why community-driven marketing works, it is important to understand how the modern GCC consumer actually makes a purchase decision.

It rarely begins with a search engine. It begins in the feed.

Nearly half of UAE users, 48.1 percent, and 60 percent of Saudi users now use social networks as their primary tool for researching brands and products. Before a consumer clicks add to cart, they have already passed through a quiet community validation process. They have watched unboxing videos from creators they follow and seen devices appear in the rhythm of everyday life.

Celebrity endorsements signal aspiration. Micro creators signal authenticity.

In consumer electronics, authenticity wins.

The Tiered Ecosystem: A Multi-Dimensional Strategy

The most effective technology marketing campaigns in the region now operate through a deliberate multi-tier structure.

Macro influencers are used sparingly to create cultural moments and announce major launches. Mid-tier creators establish niche authority and technical credibility. Micro-influencers carry the critical work of storytelling and product validation. The final layer, the nano tier, drives conversion through peer trust and cultural familiarity.

This distinction matters.

When consumers see a mega-influencer holding a new smartphone, they recognize an advertisement. When they see someone from their own community using the same device in everyday life, they recognize a recommendation.

That difference shapes behavior.

The GCC creator economy has grown 74 percent over the last two years and now includes more than 263,000 active influencers. Technology has become the fastest-growing vertical within that ecosystem. The pool of credible creators available to brands has never been deeper.

The Regional Calendar Geography Is Not a Strategy

One factor global marketing teams often underestimate is cultural timing.

The GCC is not simply a geography. It operates like a calendar.

Consumer spending in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt increases by more than 53 percent during Ramadan. Campaigns that might perform modestly in a typical month can deliver outsized impact when creative work reflects the values and rituals of the season.

That kind of resonance can only be achieved by collaborating with creators who understand the culture from the inside.

Moving From Output to Outcomes

There is an uncomfortable truth at the center of the influencer marketing industry in this region.

Many brands are still measuring the wrong things.

Total impressions and cost per mile remain dominant metrics because they are easy to present in reports. But the shift required is from output metrics to outcome metrics.

The questions that matter are different.

What was the depth of engagement?
How many saves and shares did the content generate?
How much earned advocacy emerged from creators who chose to talk about the product because they genuinely valued it?

Organic enthusiasm cannot be purchased. It can only be earned.

The GCC influencer marketing market is valued at $315.5 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $771.6 million by 2032.

The brands that will lead the next phase of this market will not simply be those with the largest budgets. They will be the brands that understand how their consumers actually make decisions, build disciplined influencer ecosystems, and measure the signals that truly drive behavior.

The Middle East tech consumer is one of the most digitally engaged and brand-aware audiences in the world. They expect strategies that reflect that sophistication.