Regional Labs, a Manama-headquartered venture, launched in Bahrain to match local developers with start-ups, signaling fresh job pathways and deeper tech ties across the Gulf.
Unveiled at the government-backed Connect2Innovate forum, Regional Labs plans a network of hubs spanning Bahrain, Israel and Portugal. Its model is simple: encourage Israeli software, cyber-security and SaaS firms eyeing Gulf expansion to build distributed teams in Bahrain, where wages are competitive and digital-skills programmes are maturing. Founder Ami Marom says the company will steer recruitment, run accelerator tracks for Bahraini start-ups and provide Israeli mentors for entry-level coders. The first target is ambitious yet measurable—landing 100 Israeli employers within ten years and training 1,000 Bahrainis for high-paying roles in development, customer success and sales.
The initiative aligns with Bahrain’s push to diversify its economy and leverage post-Abraham-Accords cooperation, while giving Israeli firms on-the-ground market intelligence as they scale across the GCC. Officials from the Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Bahrain Economic Development Board hailed the launch as a fast lane for knowledge transfer that complements existing talent schemes such as Tamkeen’s wage-support packages. Regional Labs will also run incubation programmes for Bahraini founders, connecting them to Israel’s venture network and potential pilot customers. Longer term, Marom believes the hub-and-spoke model can replicate in neighbouring states, stitching together a regional talent cloud that lowers hiring friction and sparks joint R&D.
Bahraini engineers and start-ups can register their interest now at Regional Labs’ website.
