Case Study: Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) achieves UAE’s first locally hosted SaaS LMS and modernized, secure learning with Anthology (Blackboard)

How HCT, Anthology, and AWS Partnered to Deliver the First SaaS LMS Deployment Hosted on UAE Soil

Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), a UAE public institution serving 25,000+ students across campuses in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other emirates, needed to modernize its learning platform while ensuring student data remained on UAE soil to meet strict regulations. HCT engaged Anthology to upgrade its Blackboard instance to the SaaS Ultra platform — a first‑to‑market request for a locally hosted cloud LMS in the UAE.

Anthology, in partnership with AWS, deployed Blackboard (Ultra) in a UAE data center and managed a seamless migration (live January 2025), delivering features like the AI Design Assistant, Blackboard Content Designer, and Flexible Grading. The Anthology-led SaaS deployment reduced HCT’s operational overhead, improved security and update velocity, and established the first locally hosted SaaS LMS in the UAE, enabling faster innovation and regulatory compliance.

Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)

Mohammed Alnuaimi

Vice President of Shared Services