On behalf of the Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, “Shadi Ramzi” Al-Majali, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Investment, Dr. Mohammad Abu Omar, patronized the closing ceremony of Orange Jordan’s partnership with Proparco, the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group). The event celebrated the graduation of the project’s final cohort of the Coding Academy by the Orange Digital Center in Aqaba.
This milestone represents an outstanding achievement for the program, which achieved a 100% success rate after five months of intensive training, totaling 800 hours, followed by a one-month practical training period at partner companies to apply the acquired skills in a real work environment. The program also included training in key programming languages, web and mobile application development, and the completion of eight software projects.
The CEO of Orange Jordan, Eng. Philippe Mansour expressed his pride in this partnership and in the success of this cohort, which marks the fifth from the Coding Academy in Aqaba and the second in collaboration with Proparco. He emphasized that the graduates demonstrated great commitment and ambition in applying their digital skills to create real job opportunities.
Eng. Mansour also highlighted that Orange’s continuous support for Jordanian youth reflects its commitment as the true responsible digital leader. Over six years, the Coding Academy at the Orange Digital Center has made a significant societal impact, changing the lives of more than 1,022 youth, 80% of whom have joined the workforce.
On the other hand, Dr. Abu Omar emphasized the importance of empowering youth and developing their skills in information technology and entrepreneurship. He added that this vital project contributes to transforming Aqaba into a smart city and enhances the youth’s opportunities to engage in innovative entrepreneurial projects, in line with the Aqaba Authority’s strategy to develop skills and position the city as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.
From his side, Sebastien Fleury, Regional Director of Proparco in the Middle East, expressed his pride in supporting the students of the Orange Coding Academy. The high quality of the curriculum and the selection of highly motivated students make it unique and ensure the success of the program. Opening new horizons for the youth is at the heart of Proparco’s mission.
The ceremony also featured a panel discussion titled “Sustaining startups growth in Aqaba” with the participation of the Commissioner for Tourism and Youth at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Dr. Thabet Al-Nabulsi, CEO of Orange Jordan, Eng. Philippe Mansour, along with several entrepreneurs from Orange’s incubators and accelerators. The discussion addressed opportunities to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Aqaba and empower the youth to establish startups capable of growth and expansion.
It’s worth noting that this partnership was launched last year to empower the youth with digital and soft skills and enhance their opportunities in the job market. Throughout this collaboration, a total of 239 young females and males from four Jordanian governorates, including Zarqa, Irbid, Aqaba, and Balqa, graduated from the program. And females represented 42% of the participants. The program also achieved outstanding employment rates and produced graduates who launched start-ups through their graduation projects.
