Businessman Manara seals $3.6 million deal with AWS to cultivate cloud proficiency among 2,500 software engineers across the MENA region.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is set to become a major technology hub for the coming decade, as Manara, a tech talent development platform, partners with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in a $3.6 million initiative. This collaboration aims to train 2,500 software engineers, data scientists, and AI engineers in cloud and AI capabilities[1][2][5].
Iliana Montauk, Founder and CEO of Manara, expressed her belief that the Middle East is poised to become a technology talent frontier, with Manara leading the movement[3]. The training initiative will be delivered through Manara's proprietary education technology platform, resulting in AWS Certifications for participants[6].
The partnership aligns with rapid IT growth in MENA, where IT spending is expected to reach $169 billion in 2026, driven by investments in AI, multi-cloud strategies, and data center systems[4]. Strengthening cloud and AI expertise is part of the region’s broader strategy to fuel innovation and economic diversification, supporting resilient and future-ready economies[4].
Omar AlSakka, a graduate of the initiative, gained confidence and expertise in AWS services and cloud computing through the program[7]. Participants will have access to employment opportunities through Manara's hiring services, with enterprise companies in MENA, Europe, and North America able to access trained and qualified engineers[8].
Antonio AlSonzo Lopez, Director of Partner Management, EMEA at AWS, expressed commitment to providing high-quality training and certifications for cloud skills through partnerships like Manara[9]. The collaboration positions the MENA region as a major player in the global tech industry, following AWS's recent $5.3 billion investment in Saudi Arabia[10].
Manara, founded by two female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, is backed by prestigious investors including Y Combinator, Seedcamp, Precursor Ventures, Neo Capital, Reid Hoffman, Eric Ries, Marc Benioff, Paul Graham, and Jessica Livingston[11]. The partnership between Manara and AWS is a significant step towards equipping communities with the expertise needed for careers in cloud computing and generative AI, and positioning the MENA region as a major technology hub for the coming decade.
[1] https://www.manara.co/ [2] https://aws.amazon.com/ [3] https://www.manara.co/blog/manara-ceo-iliana-montauk-on-the-future-of-tech-talent-in-the-mena-region [4] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-05-18-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-it-spending-to-reach-4-2-trillion-in-2022 [5] https://www.manara.co/blog/manara-and-aws-announce-3-6-million-partnership-to-train-2500-software-engineers-across-the-mena-region [6] https://aws.amazon.com/certification/ [7] https://www.manara.co/blog/omar-alsakka-from-student-to-cloud-practitioner-how-manara-helped-me-get-my-first-job-in-it [8] https://www.manara.co/hiring [9] https://aws.amazon.com/partners/find-a-partner/ [10] https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/data-centers/saudi-arabia/ [11] https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/26/manara-raises-3-5m-for-its-marketplace-connecting-middle-east-and-north-africa-tech-talent-to-companies/
- This partnership between Manara and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a significant step towards nurturing data-and-cloud-computing expertise in the Middle East and North Africa, a region aiming to fuel innovation and economic diversification.
- The training initiative, delivered through Manara's education technology platform, focuses on online-education in cloud and AI capabilities, preparing over 2,500 software engineers, data scientists, and AI engineers for the global tech industry.
