AI Career Fair: Beirut Dares to Dream Edition: A Milestone for Lebanon’s AI Talent

On September 19, 2025, Beirut witnessed a powerful moment of inspiration and opportunity as the AI Career Fair: Beirut Dares to Dream Edition came to life at Beirut Digital District (BDD). Organized by ZAKA, BDD, and Forward MENA, the fair gathered 500+ attendees onsite and over 1000 registrations, bringing together industry leaders, top AI companies, and future professionals to celebrate talent, connect employers with innovators, and showcase Lebanon’s potential as a regional AI hub.

ZAKA’s Vision in Action

At ZAKA, our mission has always been clear: bridge the gap between AI education and employment. The career fair was a living testament to this vision. For years, we’ve trained and mentored talent in AI, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics. With this event, we took the next step, creating a direct pathway from learning to employment, right here in Beirut.

This fair wasn’t just about jobs. It was about hope, opportunity, and showing the world that Lebanese talent is global-ready. It embodied the spirit of the broader initiative “Beirut Dares to Dream” proving that despite challenges, Lebanon continues to dream, innovate, and build.

AI Insights Stage: A Full Day of Inspiration

The AI Insights Stage was the heart of the fair, running from morning till afternoon with panels, talks, and solution spotlights. Each session was carefully designed to showcase Lebanon’s AI ecosystem, highlight success stories, and equip attendees with the knowledge to grow their careers.

The day began with Opening Remarks from H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehadeh, Marwan Atallah from Forward MENA), and Larissa Abi Nakhle from ZAKA.

The AI Insights Stage opened with energy and vision, guided by Laura Janie Patterson, the MC of the event. Laura introduced herself, welcomed the audience, and invited His Excellency Kamal Shadi, Minister of AI, to launch the career fair.

H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehadeh (Minister of AI) set the tone by stressing that AI is reshaping the world. He called for laws, institutions, and AI literacy to guide responsible adoption and urged Lebanon to position itself as an AI-first nation.

Marwan Attalah (Executive Director, Forward MENA) welcomed guests, praised the minister’s leadership, and underlined the importance of ethical AI use. He introduced Forward MENA’s mission to skill and support Lebanon’s next generation.

Larissa Abi Nakhle (Co-founder, ZAKA) highlighted ZAKA’s role as co-organizer and its six-year journey training AI graduates and pushing local companies to adopt AI solutions.

Joseph Boutros (Strategy Consultant) presented ZAKA’s perspective on AI talent development in Lebanon, stressing the global disruption of AI, the need for a clear talent framework, estimating the number of graduates required, and the importance of coordination among stakeholders.

The first panel discussion, AI Adoption: CEO Perspectives, was moderated by Jihad Bitar, CEO, Siren Analytics and featured Mario Akl, CEO MaliaTec, Roland Joseph Tannous, Founder GravityQ, and Chris Sassine, CEO Speedlane. The CEOs discussed why so many AI projects fail, pointing to hype-driven adoption and poor data readiness. They agreed on the need for realistic expectations, strong data foundations, and leadership alignment to ensure AI delivers measurable impact.

The stage then shifted into Spotlight Sessions on practical AI applications. Alexi Akl (Speedlane) presented how their solutions improve efficiency and customer experience, while Alaa Hussein (Maids.cc) showcased the use of AI in streamlining services and operations.

Talent-building was the focus of the next panel, Building Your AI Career: From Learning to Landing Your First Role, moderated by Amanda Hachem, Head of Education at ZAKA. Panelists Ammar Mohanna, PhD, American University of Beirut, Mireille Makary, Solutions Expert, APGAR, and Nicolas El Khoury, Tech Consultant & Lecturer, Lebanese American University shared how education, projects, and persistence are critical for employability, while also stressing the importance of soft skills and continuous upskilling.

After a short networking break, the conversation turned to the hiring frontlines with Acing AI Job Interviews: Tips & Real-World Use Cases, moderated by Elias Boustany, Co-founder, Metod.ai. Panelists Abdou Ayoub, Founder, Paragon Shift, Zahi Lahham, Senior Data Engineer, CME, and Joseph Francis, Managed Services Manager, Atria Solutions explained what employers truly look for: clarity, problem-solving, and the ability to communicate complex ideas simply.

The day concluded with another round of Spotlight Sessions highlighting Lebanon’s AI innovation:

● Peter Chalhoub (Maliatec) showcased enterprise-grade AI solutions.
● Jiana Assaad (APGAR) explained how their platforms use AI to improve data management.
● Samer Corban (CME) introduced Vero AI, their next-generation customer support solution.
● Jana Kabrit (AEMS) presented innovations in AI-enabled services.
● Elie Kawkabani (Integral) closed with a vision for AI-powered HR and organizational systems.

By the end of the day, attendees walked away with a holistic view of Lebanon’s AI ecosystem, spanning education, career readiness, enterprise adoption, and startup innovation.

👉 Want to dive deeper? You can watch the full AI Insights Stage talks by checking out the event replay here.

Networking Zone

The Piazza at BDD transformed into a buzzing ecosystem where students, graduates, professionals, and company leaders met face-to-face, exchanged ideas, and discovered collaborations. The atmosphere was made even more engaging with food trucks, the UPaint activity where participants came together to color and bring the “Beirut Dares to Dream” vision to life, and special activations by iPark AUB and Forward MENA designed to spark networking and meaningful connections.

AI Career Expo

19 leading companies set up interactive booths, showcased real-world AI projects, and conducted 50+ speed interviews, giving attendees tangible career opportunities. For many, it was the first chance to connect directly with recruiters and hiring managers in Lebanon’s growing AI sector.

Celebrating Local Talent Graduation

A proud moment for ZAKA was the graduation of 150 participants from the Khotwa program, who completed our 5-month AI certification. Their achievement reflects not only individual dedication but also the collective potential of Lebanon’s youth to build careers in AI

Acknowledgments

The AI Career Fair: Beirut Dares to Dream Edition was made possible through collaboration, vision, and dedication.

Participating Companies

We thank the companies that showcased opportunities and engaged directly with Lebanon’s AI talent: CMA CGM, Integral, Maliatec, Chimera, aems.ai, Maids.cc – AI & Tech, Speedlane, APGAR, Siren Analytics, Atria Solutions, Acquisit, Pipp, Playball, RAMS Services SAL, Eurisko, Aralects, Mobile Arts, CME, Digico Solutions.

Community Partners

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the community organizations that amplified this fair’s impact:
iPark AUB, Beirut AI, USJ, IEEE Young Professional, WIE Lebanon, The Collective, Supportful, Concat, Techgenies, develeb, TechCircle, AUB, Fakker AI, Talent Tap, Nawaya, SmartESA, DXTalk, Michel Daher Foundation, Google Developer Group, IEEE Computer Society, AWS Community, SE Factory, Hariri Foundation.

Organizers

Finally, our deepest appreciation goes to our partners in bringing this vision to life: Beirut Digital District (BDD) and Forward MENA, alongside the ZAKA team, volunteers, and everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

The AI Career Fair was not an ending, it was a beginning. For ZAKA Careers, this marks the start of more initiatives to connect talent with opportunity, expand AI education, and empower Lebanon’s brightest minds to shape the future.

Together, we proved that Beirut dares to dream, and with ZAKA, those dreams can become careers.

👉 Did you attend the fair? Share your reflections and tag @ZAKA Careers on LinkedIn. Let’s keep the conversation alive and continue building Lebanon’s AI future together.

Loading posts...