Bahrain’s push to close its gender skills gap has moved into a new phase, as the Bahrain Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator held its second high level co chair meeting in Manama on 17 November. The session brought together senior leaders from the public and private sectors alongside the World Economic Forum (WEF) to agree priorities for a National Action Plan that will guide the next wave of programmes for local talent and employers.

The accelerator, launched at Davos in January by the Labour Fund Tamkeen in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board and the World Economic Forum, is part of the global Accelerators Network. It focuses on high growth sectors where closing gender gaps in skills and participation can directly support Bahrain’s economic diversification agenda.

During the latest meeting, co chairs reviewed a system level analysis of Bahrain’s labour market and skills gaps based on national data, sector reports and WEF insights. The analysis builds on work by Skills Bahrain, which has already developed a core skills framework and nine sector skills reports to guide employers and training providers, as highlighted in a recent WEF feature on Bahrain’s workforce strategy.

Participants discussed priority sectors such as manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications and advanced technology, where reskilling and upskilling can rapidly increase the share of Bahraini women and men in quality jobs. The meeting also looked at how to align upcoming programmes with existing initiatives led by Tamkeen, the Supreme Council for Women, the Ministry of Labour, and other national partners, according to official updates from Tamkeen and the Bahrain News Agency. 

The accelerator’s work sits against a strong backdrop of national progress. Bahrain climbed 12 places in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, with its overall parity score rising from 66.6 percent in 2024 to 68.4 percent in 2025, ranking second in the Gulf and Arab region, as reported by The Daily Tribune and cited in recent gender policy analysis. 

At the global launch in Davos, Sriram Gutta, Head of Engagement and Operations and member of the WEF Executive Committee, underlined the impact of this model, saying the first cycle of gender parity accelerators “mobilized more than 2.5 million dollars in funding and trained more than 54,500 individuals, we will continue our collaboration” to expand reskilling and upskilling efforts. 

In Bahrain, the accelerator is co chaired by senior figures including Her Excellency Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board, Her Excellency Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, Chief Executive of Tamkeen, His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Mumtalakat, Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chairman of Aluminium Bahrain, and Yaser Alsharifi, Chairman of the Bahrain Association of Banks. Their role is to ensure that policy design, funding and private sector demand move in step. 

For founders and ecosystem players, the message is clear. As the National Action Plan for the Bahrain Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator is finalised, startups that design inclusive hiring, flexible work models and targeted upskilling for Bahraini women and men will be better placed to partner with Tamkeen programmes, tap sector specific skills pipelines and plug into global conversations on talent and inclusion.