Manara

Manara | Turning brain drain into brain gain for MENA. Manara is an effective, bilingual (Arabic & English) tech upskilling partner on a mission to make MENA one of the world’s leading tech talent hubs, without increasing brain drain. We design and deliver Silicon-Valley–level training in Cloud (AWS), AI & ML, and future-proof skills for both technical and non-technical teams. Born from our co-founder Laila’s journey from Gaza to NVIDIA, and shaped by our CEO Iliana’s experience as an ex Googler and a Co-founder of Gaza Sky Geeks, Manara exists to give talent in MENA the skills, support, and opportunities they need to thrive, while helping organizations in the region become exceptional places to work. Over the past few years, we have: - Trained ~5,000 engineers in cloud technologies - Helped 2,600+ learners earn AWS certifications - 40% of them are women - Supported hundreds of graduates in achieving better career outcomes - Partnered with global players like AWS, Google, Al Ghurair Foundation and regional institutions to scale impact We do not recruit. Instead, we upskill and reskill existing workforces across: - B2B: Enterprises building AI- and cloud-ready teams - B2G: Ministries, development agencies, and public-sector programs - B2C: Ambitious students and professionals investing in their own growth Whether it’s a public-sector AI program, an enterprise-wide cloud upskilling initiative, or a scholarship for underserved communities, Manara bridges global standards with local context, so that talent can grow, companies can compete, and the region as a whole can rise. If you’re a ministry, foundation, or company in MENA looking to future-proof your teams with Cloud & AI skills, Manara is your upskilling partner.