.jpg?20260326')
Bahrain’s national effort to build a future-ready workforce and close the gender parity gap entered a critical new phase this week.
The Bahrain Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator held its second high-level meeting with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and key co-chairs, marking a significant move towards the official formulation of its National Action Plan.
Co-ordinated by the Skills Bahrain initiative and jointly led by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the accelerator is designed to future-proof national talent and advance women’s workforce participation to reinforce the kingdom’s long-term economic competitiveness.
The meeting was attended by Sustainable Development Minister and EDB chief executive officer Noor Al Khulaif and Tamkeen CEO Maha Mofeez.
Private sector co-chairs present included Mumtalakat CEO Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Alba chairman Khalid Al Rumaihi, and Bahrain Association of Banks chairman Yaser Al Sharifi.
Discussions centred on key findings from a system-level analysis, providing a data-driven foundation to identify critical challenges and opportunities in Bahrain’s skills ecosystem and accelerate gender parity. Stakeholders aligned on priority pathways for the forthcoming National Action Plan, leveraging global insights developed in collaboration with the WEF.
Ms Al Khulaif said: “Our future-ready talent pool is the driving force behind the kingdom’s progress towards a knowledge-driven economy. This collaboration places research-based data and insights at the foundation of our efforts, enabling us to track outcomes and shape evidence-based strategies that are directly aligned with Bahrain’s National Action Plan, reflecting our commitment to nurturing homegrown talent and closing the gender parity gap.”
Ms Mofeez noted that this phase establishes the foundation for a national action plan that strengthens public-private collaboration and responds to evolving labour market dynamics. She emphasised Tamkeen’s commitment to investing in Bahraini talent development, focusing particularly on empowering women and enhancing their participation in the national workforce.
Saadia Zahidi, managing director at the WEF, commented: “Bahrain’s 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, this accelerator has the potential to drive inclusive impact at scale.”
The accelerator now transitions into the National Action Plan formulation stage, where stakeholders will develop an evidence-based, action-oriented framework to bridge skill gaps and promote gender parity across high-growth sectors, further reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a leading hub for human capital development.
&uuid=(email))