DUBAI, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday launched Madrasa, a free e-learning platform for Arab students in the world, state news agency WAM reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, unveiled Madrasa, meaning "school" in Arabic, the report said.

Madrasa is "a revolutionary new project" created under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, it added.

The platform, which offers 5,000 Arabic educational videos on subjects including science and mathematics, targets all levels of school students from kindergarten to grade 12.

The project provides educational materials in Arabic online free of charge to over 50 million Arab students around the world.

The launch coincided with the ongoing Gitex Technology Week, the biggest informational tech event in the Middle East.

Sheikh Mohammed, the first Arab head of government who communicated to the public through social media channels, said "building a better future for our region starts in the classroom and e-learning can bridge the knowledge gap in the Arab world."

"Technology can offer millions of Arab students the opportunity to develop their scientific capabilities. We aspire to provide a world-class education to every Arab child," he said.

The e-learning platform is the first outcome of the Translation Challenge initiative, launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2017, with the aim of providing millions of students in the Arab world with easy access to advanced, engaging and accurate audiovisual educational materials in Arabic.

Madrasa is a result of thousands of hours of hard work by translators, proofreaders, designers, technicians, and voice-over artists, who volunteered for the Translation Challenge initiative.

"My message to the Arab students is, education is your future and your weapon to navigate life," Sheikh Mohammed said, while inviting all Arab students to use the Madrasa platform.

Under the scheme UAE Centennial 2071, the year when the Gulf state will mark its 100th anniversary of its foundation, the UAE government aims to eliminate its reliance on oil by transforming the state into a knowledge-based economy.