SPARK & Google.org launch Maharat for Tourism e-learning hub in Egypt
SPARK, in partnership with EYouth and with support from Google.org, has launched the Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub in Egypt - a pioneering platform designed to equip 25,000 individuals across the MENA region with essential skills for the tourism industry.
The launch event, held at the Triumph Plaza Hotel in Cairo, welcomed over 100 stakeholders, including representatives from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism, industry leaders, and digital learning experts. The initiative aligns with Egypt's national priorities to enhance workforce competitiveness and drive tourism sector growth.
With the tourism sector rapidly evolving, Maharat for Tourism offers free, high-quality training tailored for both aspiring and experienced professionals. The platform provides interactive courses on digital skills, business management, and customer service, ensuring users stay competitive in a dynamic job market.
By bridging the skills gap and building a digitally empowered workforce, this initiative directly contributes to Egypt's economic resilience and job creation in one of its most vital industries.
A Strategic Partnership with the Ministry of Tourism
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism is an active supporter of the platform, recognising its role in modernising workforce training and driving long-term industry sustainability. 'We are proud to launch the Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub, which will provide thousands of individuals with the opportunity to develop essential skills for success in the tourism sector,' said Dina Almasaeid, SPARK's Regional Programme Director 'The support from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism further emphasises the industry-wide commitment to fostering talent and innovation.'
Join the Movement
The Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub is now live and available in both English and Arabic, offering tourism professionals and job seekers the opportunity to advance their careers in the industry. To learn more and enroll in courses, visit: https://maharat.spark.ngo/.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Roya News
2 days ago
- Roya News
Gold prices hold steady in Jordan on Wednesday, May 28
Gold prices in Jordan remained stable according to the prices quoted by the Jordanian Jewelers Syndicate (JJS) on May 28, 2025. The official rates for May 28, 2025, were as follows: 24 -carat gold : JD 76.900 for selling, JD 74.500 for buying per gram 21 -carat gold (the most commonly traded): JD 66.700 for selling, JD 64.700 for buying 18 -carat gold : JD 59.000 for selling, JD 55.000 for buying 14 -carat gold : JD 45.200 for selling, JD 40.600 for buying As for gold coins: The Rashadi lira was priced at JD 471.900 for selling and JD 466.900 for buying The English lira stood at JD 538.600 for selling and JD 533.600 for buying The syndicate updates prices daily based on global market trends and local trading activity.
Jordan Times
5 days ago
- Jordan Times
Jordan welcomes over 2.1m tourists in first 4 months of 2025, marking 19% growth
Jordan's tourism sector is showing 'strong' signs of recovery, with international visitor arrivals rising by 19 per cent during the first third of 2025 (JT file) AMMAN — Jordan's tourism sector is showing 'strong' signs of recovery, with international visitor arrivals rising by 19 per cent during the first third of 2025 compared with the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The ministry reported that the Kingdom welcomed around 2.125 million international visitors between January and April, up from 1.785 million during the same period in 2024, reflecting growing international interest in Jordan as a travel destination and highlighting tourism's continued role as a vital contributor to the national economy. Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) remained the top entry point, accounting for 33.1 per cent of all arrivals, with more than 705,000 visitors entering through the airport. 'This growth reflects not only a post-pandemic rebound but also the success of government tourism strategies and targeted regional marketing,' economic analyst Rami Abdulla told The Jordan Economic. 'Tourism plays a major role in GDP and job creation, and a consistent rise in arrivals benefits multiple sectors.' Land border crossings also contributed significantly. The Omari crossing recorded 23.8 per cent of total tourist entries (over 507,000 visitors), followed by the King Hussein Bridge (10.4 per cent) and the Jaber crossing (9.2 per cent), according to the ministry's figures. Other points of entry included Wadi Araba (3.8 per cent), Aqaba's seaport (2.8 per cent), the Jordan Valley crossing (2.6 per cent), the Karameh crossing (1.5 per cent), and King Hussein Airport in Aqaba (0.3 per cent). Salma Taha, who runs a tourism business in Petra, said she has seen a noticeable rise in bookings and renewed confidence among tour operators. 'We're witnessing steady demand from Europe, the US, and GCC countries. The numbers are promising, especially for small businesses that rely heavily on international travellers,' she said. Petra, in particular, is attracting a new wave of tourists drawn by live music events and cultural performances. Sector officials noted that an increasing number of international visitors are now travelling specifically to attend concerts held at the historic site. 'Travel agencies are responding by offering curated packages that include concert tickets, luxury accommodations, guided tours, and visits to nearby attractions,' said Hani Karim, a travel agency employee, told The Jordan Times. As the tourism sector continues to rebound, stakeholders are calling for sustained investment in infrastructure, digital transformation, and workforce development to ensure long-term growth.
Wamda
21-05-2025
- Wamda
Wamda Capital joins Tarjama's $15 million Series A
UAE-based tech startup Tarjama has closed a $15 million a Series A funding round, led by Global Ventures, with participation from Wamda Capital, TA Ventures, Phaze Capital, Golden Gate Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst. Founded in 2009 by Nour Al Hassan, Tarjama offers advanced language technology solutions across 50+ languages and 22 Arabic dialects, serving over 700 clients globally. The company recently launched Pronoia V2, a purpose-built Arabic-first LLM that outperforms GPT-4o and Cohere on Arabic tasks. The funding will be used to scale Tarjama's proprietary agentic AI ecosystem built specifically for enterprise applications in Arabic-speaking markets. The company plans to expand its engineering team, build sovereign infrastructure, and launch an AI Academy to train enterprise and government leaders across the region. Press release: Tarjama, MENA's leading language solutions technology company, announces it has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by MENA's leading venture capital firm – Global Ventures. Other participating investors included Wamda Capital, TA Ventures, Phaze Capital, Golden Gate Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst. The proceeds will accelerate the rollout of Tarjama's agentic ecosystem, designed to help organisations solve complex business processes with AI agents tailored for the region's unique needs. Headquartered in the UAE, Tarjama was founded in 2009 by Nour Al Hassan to break language barriers and connect global markets with innovative language solutions. After 16 years of delivery excellence working with governments and top consultancies, Tarjama has a global presence in 30+ markets; has processed over two billion words in over 50 languages and 22 Arabic dialects; and established proprietary datasets unrivalled by any competitor. Tarjama is profitable, and over the last three years the Company's revenues have grown by 20% CAGR. The Company's business model has evolved to now serve rapidly growing demand for specialised Arabic AI from MENA's 400 million Arabic speakers amid its fast-digitising $3 trillion economy. Tarjama's market-leading products include the recently launched platform, based on Pronoia V2 – a state-of-the-art, Arabic-first, Large Language Model (LLM). For many years, generic global generative AI models have left Arabic underserved. Pronoia is purpose-built to fill this gap – delivering contextual intelligence, cultural fluency, and task-specific performance – so enterprises have the required tools to lead the agentic AI economy. Tarjama also has a deep understanding of local nuances and dialects and business context – critical for effective Arabic AI applications. Pronoia combines high-performance language processing with enterprise-grade security and efficiency – making it the most accurate, cost-effective Arabic AI solution, outperforming GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3, and Cohere on Arabic tasks. Nour Al Hassan, Founder and CEO of Tarjama, said: 'We're delighted to close this Series A funding round and thank Global Ventures and all our other investors for their support and sharing our forward-looking vision. We have a vast market opportunity in our grasp; Arabic has been underserved by AI for too long. Our flagship product, Pronoia, changes that – it is far faster, more secure, and cost-effective. 'We see enterprises struggle with Arabic, but Pronoia transforms day-long tasks into minutes – fundamentally changing how companies can operate in Arabic markets. It is a comprehensive AI ecosystem. We look forward to the future with great confidence.' Said Murad, Senior Partner at Global Ventures, commented: 'We're excited to lead Tarjama's Series A fundraise and support Nour and her incredible team in transforming how Arabic business problems are solved by AI. Tarjama has multiple competitive advantages – both technically and culturally – and its state-of-the-art LLM, Pronoia, is purpose-built to dominate in a market where other AI tools have consistently fallen short. We are confident Tarjama's profitable growth trajectory will continue, and its enterprise-grade Arabic AI solution will have global appeal.' Scaling for the AI agent economy
