Amazon Teams Up with MENA Startup to Boost Cloud Talent in the Gulf

Amazon is launching a major initiative in the Gulf region by collaborating with Manara, a social impact startup focused on developing tech talent across the Middle East and North Africa. The partnership aims to train thousands of aspiring cloud software engineers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Through its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company will invest $3.6 million over the next two years to equip 2,500 engineers with critical skills in cloud technologies. The training initiative, managed in collaboration with Manara, reflects a growing push to strengthen the region’s digital capabilities.

Cloud computing refers to internet-based services that replace the need for personal hardware and include tools like file sharing, website hosting, and artificial intelligence platforms. AWS is currently the global leader in cloud infrastructure, competing closely with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.

Although cloud adoption in the Middle East has historically lagged behind other regions, analysts believe the potential impact is significant. According to McKinsey & Company, cloud technologies could generate as much as $132 billion in value for the MENA region’s 600 largest companies by 2030.

The global cloud computing sector is rapidly expanding, with market value surpassing $500 billion in 2023 and projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2028, potentially reaching $1.6 trillion by the end of the decade.

Manara, the startup partnering with Amazon, was co-founded by Laila Abudahi and Iliana Montauk, who first met in Gaza before launching the venture from Silicon Valley. The company is committed to bridging the gap between local tech talent and global opportunities.

This initiative marks a significant step in building a sustainable digital workforce in the Gulf, paving the way for long-term economic transformation driven by cloud innovation.