Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work · Education in the Middle East
Microsoft 365for Education
We help schools, colleges and universities pick the right A plan for staff and students, get verified, set up classes in Teams and move existing email and files.
Grade 8 · Science
Section B
Grade 8 · Science
Section B
Team code
7k2q·mx
Upcoming
Lab report due Thursday
View all
Class teacher posted a new assignment: Water cycle lab report
Due Thu
Class teacher posted new material: Unit 3 slides
Edited today
Unit 3 · The water cycle
Water cycle lab report
Due Thu
Unit 3 quiz
Due Fri
Unit 3 slides
No due date
Rainfall data
No due date
- Class Notebook
- Welcome
- Content Library
- Collaboration Space
- Student notebooks
- Lesson 4 · Evaporation
- Unit 3 slides
- Water cycle lab report
- Rainfall data
Lesson 4 · Evaporation
Edited today
Grade 8 · Science
Section B
This week · 2
Water cycle lab report
Due Thu
Unit 3 quiz
Due Fri
Next week · 2
Group project slides
Grade 8 · Science
Reading response
Grade 8 · Science
My files›Class files›Grade 8 · ScienceWater cycle lab report
Rainfall data
Group project slides
Exit ticket
Storage
Shared with the class team
Why schools across the Middle East work with us
Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern WorkMicrosoft's top designation for Microsoft 365 (we held Gold from 2015 until Microsoft retired it).
Since 2007with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
350,000+ users migratedto the cloud since 2007, staff and students included.
A large team of Microsoft-certified engineerspart of a wider team certified across Google, Zoho, cloud and security.
Offices in Dubai, Muscat and Dohawith remote support in English and Arabic; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are served from Dubai.
Microsoft 365 for Education is Microsoft's licensing for schools and universities. Office 365 A1 is free for eligible institutions and gives web Office apps, email, Teams and OneDrive. Paid A3 and A5 plans add desktop apps, device management and stronger security. Gulf Infotech, a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work (in business since 2007), sets it up for institutions across the Middle East.
- Office 365 A1Free for eligible institutions
- A1
- Microsoft 365 A3Paid, per user
- A3
- Microsoft 365 A5Paid, per user
- A5
How do we set up Microsoft 365 for your school?
01 / 05
Eligibility and plan design
we confirm academic verification and decide which staff and students get A1, A3 or A5.
Education customer · Setup
- Academic verificationApproved
- Plan mix · staffA3
- Plan mix · studentsA1
- Education plans in catalogueVisible
02 / 05
Tenant and identity
domain, staff and student accounts, and sync with your student information system through School Data Sync.
Microsoft Entra ID · Sync
- School domainVerified
- Staff accountsCreated
- Student accountsCreated
- School Data SyncSyncing
03 / 05
Classes and devices
Teams classes, OneNote Class Notebooks, and Intune for Education policies for school laptops.
Intune for Education
- Teams classes · Grade 8Created
- OneNote Class NotebooksReady
- Policy: student laptopsApplied
- Lab A · 30 laptopsEnrolled
04 / 05
Migration
staff and student mail and files moved from Google Workspace, another host or a local server.
Data migration
- Staff mailboxes84%
- Student mailboxes62%
- Calendars41%
- Shared filesQueued
05 / 05
Training
admin training for your IT team, teacher training on Microsoft 365 and Teams for Education, and quick guides for teachers.
Unit 3 slides
Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 compared
Weighing up platforms? Read our side-by-side comparison.
Who is eligible for education pricing?
Eligibility check
Four quick questions before you plan around education pricing.
Is it an accredited school, college or university?
Microsoft verifies each institution before education plans can be ordered.
What is the difference between A1, A3 and A5?
A1 is the free, web-only plan; A3 adds desktop Office, Windows and device management; A5 adds advanced security, compliance, Power BI Pro and calling. Microsoft sells A3 and A5 in two families: Office 365 (apps and services) and Microsoft 365 (apps plus Windows, Intune and Defender).
| Editions | Office 365 A1Free for eligible institutions | Microsoft 365 A3Paid, per user | Microsoft 365 A5Paid, per user |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint | Web and mobile | Desktop, web and mobile | Desktop, web and mobile |
| Email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams classes, OneNote Class Notebook, Forms | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows 11 Enterprise | No | Yes | Yes |
| Intune for Education | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Entra ID | Basic | Plan 1 | Plan 2 |
| Defender for Endpoint | No | Plan 1 | Plan 2 |
| Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 | No | No | Yes |
| eDiscovery and Litigation Hold | Content search only | Standard eDiscovery, Litigation Hold | Premium eDiscovery |
| Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, Audio Conferencing | No | No | Yes |
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Web and mobile
- Email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint
- Yes
- Teams classes, OneNote Class Notebook, Forms
- Yes
- Windows 11 Enterprise
- No
- Intune for Education
- No
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Basic
- Defender for Endpoint
- No
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 2
- No
- eDiscovery and Litigation Hold
- Content search only
- Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, Audio Conferencing
- No
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Desktop, web and mobile
- Email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint
- Yes
- Teams classes, OneNote Class Notebook, Forms
- Yes
- Windows 11 Enterprise
- Yes
- Intune for Education
- Yes
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Plan 1
- Defender for Endpoint
- Plan 1
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 2
- No
- eDiscovery and Litigation Hold
- Standard eDiscovery, Litigation Hold
- Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, Audio Conferencing
- No
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Desktop, web and mobile
- Email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint
- Yes
- Teams classes, OneNote Class Notebook, Forms
- Yes
- Windows 11 Enterprise
- Yes
- Intune for Education
- Yes
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Plan 2
- Defender for Endpoint
- Plan 2
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 2
- Yes
- eDiscovery and Litigation Hold
- Premium eDiscovery
- Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, Audio Conferencing
- Yes
Source: Microsoft 365 Education service description, April 2026. Education plans are supplied in every country we serve. Contact us for A3 and A5 pricing in your currency.
For most private schools, A1 for students plus A3 for staff who need desktop Office and managed laptops is the sensible starting point. A5 earns its cost where you need Premium eDiscovery, insider-risk tools or Power BI for every teacher.
Is Microsoft 365 for Education still free?
Yes, Office 365 A1 is still free for qualifying institutions, but it is web-only. Microsoft retired the old A1 Plus offer, which included desktop apps: unmanaged A1 Plus users were moved to A1 on 1 August 2024 and all A1 Plus licences expired in 2025. Schools that need desktop Office now buy A3 or A5, or an Office desktop add-on.
Microsoft also lets schools with A3 or A5 assign the same plan to students at a 40:1 student-to-faculty ratio under its Student Use Benefit. That means a school licensing 50 staff on A3 can cover up to 2,000 students. Check the exact terms for your plan family when you order.
Microsoft 365 admin center · Licences
9:41Student Use Benefit
Ratio
40 : 1
Students you can cover
2,000
40 students per staff licence
Staff licensed on A3 or A5
50
Check the exact terms for your plan family
Where is a school's Microsoft 365 data stored?
Education tenants in the GCC may be stored outside the region. Microsoft's Product Terms say that, without the Advanced Data Residency for Education (ADR for Education) add-on, Microsoft may store an Office 365 Education tenant provisioned outside the EU and EFTA anywhere in the EU or North America. ADR for Education is sold only through Microsoft Volume Licensing (Enrollment for Education Solutions, EES). Schools and universities in the UAE that need their data in-country should create the tenant in the UAE and plan ADR for Education, which gives Microsoft's full commitment; ADR does not move a tenant created elsewhere. If your ministry or board requires local hosting, raise it before the tenant is created. See Microsoft 365 in the UAE.
Tenant data location
- Education tenant created in the GCCEU or North America
- Microsoft business data for the regionUAE and Saudi regions
- In-country guaranteeADR or Multi-Geo licence
- Ministry requires local hostingRaise it first
Planning Microsoft 365 foryour school?
Tell us your staff and student numbers and the devices you use, and we will recommend the plan mix and the migration plan.
Call usDubai+971 4 447 5814Muscat+968 2200 6677Doha+974 7471 2837
Is Microsoft 365 for Education free?
Office 365 A1 is free for eligible schools and universities. It includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the web and mobile, Exchange email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and classroom tools such as OneNote Class Notebook and Forms. It does not include desktop Office apps. For those, schools buy Microsoft 365 A3 or A5, or an Office desktop add-on.
What happened to Office 365 A1 Plus?
Microsoft retired Office 365 A1 Plus. Users not updated by their IT team were moved to Office 365 A1 on 1 August 2024, and all A1 Plus licences expired in 2025. Schools that relied on A1 Plus for free desktop apps now choose between staying on web-only A1 or buying A3 or A5 for the people who need desktop Office.
What is the difference between Office 365 A3 and Microsoft 365 A3?
Office 365 A3 covers the apps and online services: desktop Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams and eDiscovery. Microsoft 365 A3 adds Windows 11 Enterprise, Intune for Education, Entra ID Plan 1 and Defender for Endpoint Plan 1. Choose Microsoft 365 A3 if you manage school-owned laptops; Office 365 A3 is enough if you only need the apps.
Can students get Microsoft 365 A3 or A5?
Yes, through Microsoft's Student Use Benefit. Schools that license staff on A3 or A5 can assign the same plan to students at a 40:1 student-to-faculty ratio, according to Microsoft. Student versions leave out a few staff features, such as Viva Learning. We check how many student licences your staff count covers before you order.
Can you move our school from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?
Yes. We move staff and student mailboxes, calendars and Drive files to Microsoft 365, then set up Teams classes and School Data Sync. Moves are typically planned for school holidays so classes are not disrupted. We also work the other way, from Microsoft to Google Workspace for Education, if that suits your school better.
Is Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace better for schools?
Both work well for GCC schools. Microsoft 365 suits schools that teach desktop Office skills, manage Windows laptops with Intune or want A5 security tools. Google Workspace for Education suits Chromebook schools and teachers who live in Google Classroom. We work with both, so we compare them on your devices, curriculum and budget. See our Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 comparison.