Manama: The Bahrain Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator held its second meeting with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Co-Chairs from the public and private sectors. The meeting marks an important step forward following the Accelerator's launch at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos earlier this year, and the subsequent kick-off session that set its strategic priorities and core pillars.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the accelerator aims to empower national talent with future-ready skills and advance women's workforce participation, thereby reinforcing Bahrain's long-term economic growth and global competitiveness. Coordinated by the "Skills Bahrain" initiative and jointly led by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the meeting was attended by key figures such as Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, and Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of Tamkeen. Private sector Co-Chairs included Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Khalid Al Rumaihi, and Yaser Al Sharifi.
Discussions focused on key findings from the system-level analysis, which provided a data-driven foundation for identifying critical challenges within Bahrain's skills ecosystem and opportunities to accelerate gender parity. The meeting also aligned stakeholders on priority pathways for the National Action Plan, supported by insights derived in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.
Participants explored practical approaches to address national skills gaps and capitalize on emerging opportunities, while drawing on the best global practices for local adaptation. Minister Alkhulaif emphasized the importance of a future-ready talent pool in driving the Kingdom's progress towards a knowledge-driven economy.
CEO of Tamkeen highlighted the importance of this phase in establishing a foundation for a national action plan that strengthens public-private collaboration and responds to evolving labour market dynamics. She reaffirmed Tamkeen's commitment to investing in Bahraini talent development, focusing on empowering women and enhancing their workforce participation.
Managing Director at the World Economic Forum noted that Bahrain's Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator demonstrates how data-driven collaboration between government and business can unlock the full potential of the workforce. By combining a focus on skills and gender parity, the Accelerator has the potential to drive inclusive impact at scale.
As the Accelerator transitions into the National Action Plan formulation stage, stakeholders will continue to collaborate with the World Economic Forum and private sector leaders to develop an evidence-based action-oriented framework to bridge skill gaps and promote gender parity across high-growth sectors. This collective effort reinforces Bahrain's position as a leading hub for human capital development and future economic growth.