Nurturing local talent and ensuring the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continues to be a hub for innovation, Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), the fintech ecosystem builder, has launched its MENA Innovation Academy (MENA-IA).
The new initiative has been created following a partnership with Reboot Coding Institute (Reboot01), the academic and training institution. This collaboration ensures that the academy will deliver education and training, leveraging the combined expertise of BFB and Reboot01.
Bader Sater, CEO of Bahrain FinTech Bay said: “Developing fintech talent has always been at the core of Bahrain FinTech Bay’s mission. For years, we have dedicated ourselves to nurturing the next generation of fintech leaders. We are now excited to take this commitment to a new level by scaling our efforts into a full-fledged Academy. The MENA-IA represents a significant milestone in our journey to empower professionals across the region with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the dynamic fintech landscape.”
Partnering with universities across the globe
MENA-IA will also be partnering with various global universities which will enable it to offer a range of courses and programmes. This will ensure that participants gain both broad industry knowledge and deep technical skills. These include:
- fintech
- insurtech
- regtech
- digital transformation
- strategy and leadership
- technical courses
The inaugural programme of the academy will be led by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and its Berkeley-AMENA Entrepreneurship and Development (Berkeley-AMENA) to bring expertise to the academy. UCB will deliver and certify the course on artificial intelligence in fintech, set to begin on 18 November.
Dariush Zahedi, director at AMENA Center for Entrepreneurship & Development, University of California, Berkeley added: “We are excited to collaborate with the MENA Innovation Academy to deliver this cutting-edge course on AI in FinTech. AI and Generative AI are rapidly transforming the financial services industry, and through this hands-on, project-based workshop, participants will gain the essential skills for addressing real-world financial challenges using advanced AI tools.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to fostering innovation and equipping professionals with the expertise to navigate the future of fintech.”
Shaping the future of fintech
This eight-week programme is tailored for non-technical professionals to upskill and learn applied uses of generative AI tools for financial institutions. Utilising a hybrid delivery model, spaces are limited to 50 participants, ensuring an engaging and focused learning experience.
This offering is just one of the many programmes planned for the year. The MENA Innovation Academy is committed to delivering a diverse range of courses and workshops, catering to the evolving needs of professionals in the financial and technology sectors. With a robust curriculum and a focus on practical, real-world applications, the academy aims to be a cornerstone of professional development in the region.
Yanal Jallad, managing director of Reboot Coding Institute said: “At Reboot, we are proud to be at the forefront of Bahrain’s tech education landscape, developing talent to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving digital economy.
“This partnership with Bahrain FinTech Bay marks a pivotal moment for us as we expand into the fintech space. The MENA Innovation Academy will play a key role in shaping the future of fintech in the Kingdom, aligning with Bahrain’s strategic vision of driving innovation and growth across industries.”
