Manara, the MENA region’s leading upskilling platform for computer science and AI talent, has launched the Cloud Catalyst Tech Forum 2026 in Riyadh, a two-day event held on January 18–19 designed to spotlight Saudi Arabia’s rising technology workforce.
The forum brought together hiring partners from across the Kingdom to engage with top engineers graduating from Manara’s Saudi programs, delivered with support from Amazon Web Services (AWS). A central highlight was a large-scale Generative AI Hackathon, where more than 1,000 participants built solutions aligned with national priorities using AWS cloud and AI infrastructure. The challenges reflected Saudi Vision 2030 themes, demonstrating how homegrown talent is accelerating the country’s digital transformation.
The event also featured keynote addresses, fireside chats, and panel discussions with senior leaders from both public and private sectors. Conversations explored the future of AI in the Kingdom, the rapid pace of cloud adoption, and the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on Saudi Arabia’s workforce and economy.
Amr El Selouky, CEO of Manara, said the initiative marked a new chapter in the company’s partnership with AWS. “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,” he said.
Coinciding with the forum, Manara signed a new social impact agreement with AWS enabling investment of up to USD 2.8 million in AWS training through February 2028. The initiative aims to train, upskill, and certify more than 5,000 software engineers across the MENA region, with a strong focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt. The collaboration supports Manara’s mission to advance cloud and AI fluency while building a sustainable pipeline of high-impact engineering talent.
Participants highlighted the program’s career impact. Omar Badawi, a Manara graduate, said the platform transformed theoretical learning into real-world engineering skills, providing early exposure to AWS technologies and access to a regional community of high-performing peers. Hiring partners echoed this impact, citing graduates’ adaptability, ownership, and technical depth as key assets in fast-moving technology environments.
Manara and AWS continue to position the next generation of engineers as the backbone of innovation across the Kingdom, aligning talent development with Saudi Arabia’s digital and economic ambitions.
