Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Manara, the MENA region's leading upskilling platform which accelerates the careers of computer science and AI talent in the region, had announced the launch of the Cloud Catalyst Tech Forum 2026 a two-day event in Riyadh on January 18–19, which was designed to highlight the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's rising technology talent.

The forum brought together hiring partners from across Saudi Arabia to meet and interact with top engineers graduating from Manara's Saudi programs, which were delivered with support from AWS. A major highlight of the forum was a large-scale Generative AI Hackathon featuring more than 1,000 participants building solutions for national priorities using AWS cloud and AI infrastructure. These emerging innovators tackled themes aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, showcasing how homegrown talent was accelerating the country's digital transformation.

The event also featured keynote speeches, fireside chats, and panel discussions with senior leaders from the public and private sectors. Speakers explored the future of AI in the Kingdom, the rapid adoption of cloud technologies, and the evolving impact of AI on Saudi Arabia's workforce and economy.

Amr El Selouky, the CEO of Manara, said: "This new initiative, part of our close working relationship with AWS, marks an exciting next chapter for Manara. As cloud adoption accelerates across the region, initiatives like Cloud Catalyst in Riyadh ensure that exceptional engineers are not only keeping pace—but leading the future of technology locally and globally.”

Coinciding with the launch of the forum, Manara has signed a new social impact agreement with AWS, which will enable investment of up to USD 2.8 million in delivering AWS training between now and February 2028. Manara aims to train, upskill, and certify more than 5,000 software engineers across the MENA region, with a strong focus on Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt. Its ongoing collaboration with AWS supports Manara’s vision to advance cloud and AI fluency while building a sustainable pipeline of high-impact engineering talent.

AWS and Manara continued to empower the next generation of technical leaders who would shape the future of innovation across the Kingdom.

Omar Badawi, Manara program participant, commented: "The university gave me theory; Manara made me a software engineer. As a student at that time, access to global market-needed learning material, highly crafted and carefully collected, was a treasure. Exposing me to AWS cloud technology while I was still a student put me miles ahead of my peers who missed out on Manara. What Manara gave me was more than a bunch of vouchers and technical sessions; it gave me access to a community of amazing, highly skilled, and goal-oriented people. I built a network of professional friends, from Tunisia to the UAE, and the most important thing is that Manara made me sure I would always remain a student who wants to learn."

Serena Barakat, AI Product Owner, PSI, and Manara hiring partner, said: “Omar's ability to transition between technologies with ease allows him to remain an asset as we shift between tools and platforms to meet project needs. Beyond his amazing technical expertise, he is highly reliable, takes full ownership of his tasks, and consistently delivers quality work, even under tight deadlines. His creativity, can-do attitude, and proactive suggestions have made him a trusted member of our team."

Manara’s solutions are available in the Middle East and North Africa. To learn more, visit https://manara.tech/. 

About Manara

Manara is a Silicon Valley-based company and the MENA region's largest platform for software engineers, computer scientists, and tech enthusiasts. Dedicated to accelerating the careers of computer science and AI talent in the Middle East & North Africa region, Manara is transforming the region into a global hub for world-class talent through contextualizing Silicon Valley's best practices to MENA's workforce.

Through its engaging edtech platform and world-class instructor-led training, Manara helps companies and governments train their own engineering teams or build ecosystems of talent. United by a passion for learning, building, and innovating, Manara is a movement of professionals committed to advancing tech excellence in the region.

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