Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), a leading hub for financial technology innovation, is set to establish MENA Innovation Academy (MENA-IA).
This initiative highlights BFB’s commitment to cultivating talent, fostering fintech expertise, nurturing an innovation mindset, and enhancing career readiness within financial organizations across the MENA region.
MENA-IA will be established in partnership with the Reboot Coding Institute (Reboot01), a premier academic and training institution renowned for its advanced programs and industry-aligned curriculum. By leveraging the combined expertise of BFB and Reboot01, the collaboration ensures that the academy will provide best-in-class education and training.
The partnerships with top global universities will enable the academy to offer a broad range of courses and programs, such as fintech, insurtech, regtech, digital transformation, strategy and leadership, and technical courses, ensuring unparalleled expertise and academic excellence to its programs.
The inaugural program of the academy will be led by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and its esteemed Berkeley-AMENA Entrepreneurship and Development (Berkeley-AMENA). UCB are recognized as global leaders in research around artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data, particularly in areas related to finance, financial analytics, and fintech.
UCB will deliver and certify the course on Artificial Intelligence in FinTech, scheduled to commence on 18 November. This 8-week program is tailored for non-technical professionals to upskill and learn applied uses of generative AI tools for financial institutions. Utilizing a hybrid delivery model, spaces are limited to 50 participants, ensuring an engaging and enhanced learning experience.
Bader Sater CEO – Bahrain FinTech Bay
“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 Innovation Academy 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.”
Yanal Jallad, Managing Director of Reboot Coding Institute, stated that, “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.”
Dariush Zahedi, Director at AMENA Center for Entrepreneurship & Development, University of California, Berkeley, added that, “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.”
