The International Board of Educational Research and Resources (Iberr), a group that formulates Islamic education syllabi for English-speaking Muslim schools around the world, may open a base in Dubai's Knowledge Village.

Iberr, which already has offices in the U.S., UK and South Africa, may set up a portal in Knowledge Village so it can expand in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The chairman of Iberr, Yusuf Islam (formerly the pop singer Cat Stevens), said the group was discussing setting up a base the Knowledge Village. "We are discussing the move - what we want is to bring to this region, through Knowledge Village, accessibility to what we are doing," said Islam.

Since September 25, about 15 members of Iberr have gathered in Dubai for workshops to accelerate the launch of a new model of syllabus and textbooks.

According to the group, which concludes its meeting today, the number and popularity of Muslim English-speaking schools is on the rise. In the U.S. there are already about 600, 125 in UK, 80 in South Africa and 20 in Australia.

"It is marvellous that our schools are amongst the top academic performers in our respective countries," said Abdalla Idris Ali, former president of the Islamic Society of North America, and Iberr member.

"The challenge is to deliver a more appropriate curriculum for Islamic schools, which strikes a balance between modern educational methods and the rich Islamic scientific heritage and culture."

The announcement of a possible move to Knowledge Village comes shortly after the news that Mountain of Light - the multimedia production company of Yusuf Islam - will set up its regional headquarters in Dubai Media City.