Beirut, Lebanon — September 2026 — The Ministry of State for Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence (MITAI), through its national digital and AI skills initiative NUMŪ, is partnering with Forward MENA to launch a new digital and AI capability-building program focused on Lebanon’s civil servants. 

The partnership will help scale practical digital and AI capabilities across the public sector through structured learning pathways, professional certification preparation, and access to internationally recognized credentials from leading global technology and learning providers, including AWS, Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning. 

The initiative is designed to strengthen digital readiness, AI fluency, data capabilities and institutional modernization across ministries and public entities. 

“Digital transformation is not only about technology; it is about building a culture of innovation and continuous learning across government. Through NUMŪ, we are investing in our public servants so they can lead that change from within.”

— H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehadi, Minister of State for Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence

 

“Every hour a civil servant spends learning must come back to the citizen as a faster service, and a better decision. We designed this program around roles and real institutional problems so that the skills are used, not just certified. Capability is one part of an interdependent system, it works alongside the tools, processes and leadership decisions around it, and this program is an early layer in that picture.” 

— Marwan Atallah, Executive Director of Forward MENA 

A Structured Learning Journey for Civil Servants 

Rather than providing standalone access to online courses, the program will organize participating civil servants into structured cohorts, enabling stronger accountability, learner support and progress tracking throughout the program.

Priority employees and participating cohorts will be identified jointly with the Civil Service Board, under the leadership of its President, Nisrine Mashmoushe, based on ministry priorities, roles and institutional readiness.

Each cohort will follow a defined learning pathway supported by regular progress tracking, a dedicated training coordinator and structured checkpoints with MITAI. 

The cohort-based model is designed to ensure that access to learning translates into completion, practical capability-building and stronger institutional capacity. 

The initiative will build on the DG Civil Servants Training initiative, helping connect leadership-level digital transformation priorities with the capabilities being developed across the broader public administration.

From Digital Foundations to Specialized Skills 

Participants will begin with a foundational Digital Literacy and Productivity track before progressing, depending on their roles and institutional needs, toward specialized learning pathways. 

The program will cover areas including: 

• Digital Literacy & Workplace Productivity 

• AI Fluency & Responsible Use 

• Data Analysis, Governance & Dashboards 

• Procurement & Vendor Oversight for Digital Projects 

• Change Management & Digital Leadership 

Participants will typically complete between 45 and 90 hours of learning, depending on the specialization selected. 

Through the program, civil servants will gain access to curated learning and certification pathways from global providers including AWS, Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning. 

Depending on the selected pathway, participants will be able to pursue industry-recognized credentials and professional certification preparation across AI, data, productivity and digital leadership. 

Available pathways through the broader academy include credentials such as AWS Certified AI Practitioner, Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate, Snowflake generative AI certification, and Microsoft and LinkedIn credentials focused on AI leadership and change management. 

Powered by nammiskills 

Learning will be delivered through the nammiskills platform, powered by Forward MENA, providing participants with a coordinated digital learning environment bringing together curated learning pathways and professional certification opportunities. 

The platform combines self-paced online learning with access to pathways developed by global technology and learning providers. 

For participating civil servants, this will be complemented by a structured cohort-management model, with regular follow-up and support throughout the learning journey. 

Each cohort will benefit from a weekly accountability rhythm, including regular check-ins, progress monitoring, and tailored support to help participants remain engaged and successfully complete their learning pathways.