AWS, social impact firm Manara to train 2,500 engineers in MENA

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has partnered with Manara, a social impact startup in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to train 2,500 software engineers in cloud computing.

AWS will invest US$3.6 million over the next two years.

The program will provide training through Manara’s platform, focusing on AWS certifications to prepare engineers for tech roles in MENA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond.

Graduates will have access to job opportunities through Manara’s hiring services, which connect talent to companies in MENA, Europe, and North America.

Manara, founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, has collaborated with Fortune 500 companies and is supported by investors like Y Combinator and Seedcamp.

🔗 Source: Amazon Web Services

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ MENA’s tech ecosystem reaches inflection point after decade of foundation-building

The AWS-Manara partnership represents the culmination of nearly a decade of tech ecosystem development across the Middle East and North Africa.

The region has steadily built momentum since 2017, when Amazon’s acquisition of Souq.com for nearly $600 million signaled serious investment potential 1.

This latest $3.6 million training initiative follows AWS’s larger $5.3 billion infrastructure investment in Saudi Arabia, demonstrating escalating commitments as the ecosystem matures 2.

The intense competition among cloud providers in MENA suggests a market approaching critical mass, with McKinsey estimating cloud services alone could generate $183 billion in value for MENA economies by 2030 3.

Countries like Jordan have been systematically building tech capacity, with initiatives such as One Million Jordanian Coders and integration of coding into school curriculums creating a foundation of technical literacy 4.

Regional demographics heavily favor tech growth, with over half the MENA population under 30 years old and high smartphone penetration, creating both the workforce and consumer base needed for tech sector expansion 1.

2️⃣ Women in tech initiatives address both economic imperative and persistent barriers

The specific focus on training women in Saudi Arabia and UAE through the AWS-Manara program addresses a documented economic opportunity, as women’s digital exclusion has cost low and middle-income countries $1 trillion in GDP over the past decade 5.