Become a Data Engineer. For Real.
Not tutorials. Not theory. A structured 4-month hands-on bootcamp taught by a Senior Data Engineer with 6+ years building real production data systems in the UAE.
🎯 10 seats only · 📍 Abu Dhabi, on-site · 🆓 Completely free
Not a course. A community.
The first cohort of what will become Abu Dhabi's premier Data Engineering community — and you can be part of it from day one.
Why is it free?
The first cohort is free because community matters more than money at this stage. In return, you commit fully — attend every session, complete the project, and help shape what this becomes.
What you walk away with
✅ 11 production-grade skills ✅ Real portfolio project ✅ Certificate of completion ✅ Job application support ✅ Lifetime access to the community ✅ Direct mentorship from a Senior DE
How it works
📍 On-site, Abu Dhabi 🗓️ 2 sessions per week ⏱️ 2.5 hours per session 📆 4 months duration 👥 Maximum 10 students 🌍 Arabic language, bilingual materials
You already have a head start.
We don't start from zero. You need three foundations — and if you have them, you're ready for everything we'll build together.
Python Basics
You're comfortable with variables, loops, functions, and basic OOP. You've written scripts before — even small ones count.
- → Can you write a class with methods?
- → Can you loop through a list and filter it?
- → Can you read a CSV file with Python?
Basic SQL
You know how to write SELECT queries, use WHERE, GROUP BY, and JOIN tables. You don't need to be a DBA — just fluent in the basics.
- → Can you JOIN two tables on a foreign key?
- → Can you GROUP BY and use aggregate functions?
- → Can you write a subquery?
Linux Foundations
You're not afraid of the terminal. You know basic commands — navigating directories, creating files, permissions. We'll go deeper but you need this base.
- → Can you navigate the filesystem with cd, ls, pwd?
- → Can you create, move, and delete files?
- → Do you understand file permissions (chmod)?
Not there yet? No problem.
Here are free resources to get you ready:
From Linux to Kafka. In 4 months.
Every skill builds on the last. Every session is hands-on. By the end, you'll have a real project that proves you can do this.
- 01FOUNDATION
Linux
Master the command line. The foundation every data engineer needs before touching any tool.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 02FOUNDATION
Hadoop
Understand distributed storage and processing. HDFS, MapReduce, YARN — the backbone of big data.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 03CORE
Docker
Containerize everything. Learn to build, run, and orchestrate reproducible data environments.
Duration: ~1.5 weeks - 04CORE
Apache Airflow
Orchestrate your pipelines. Build DAGs, schedule jobs, and monitor workflow dependencies like a pro.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 05CORE
Databases
Go beyond SQL. Understand ACID, indexing, partitioning, sharding, and database internals.
Duration: ~1.5 weeks - 06CORE
Data Warehouse
Design analytical systems. Star schemas, dimensional modeling, slowly changing dimensions, ETL patterns.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 07CORE
Apache Hive
Query big data with SQL-like syntax. Build on top of HDFS and integrate with your DWH architecture.
Duration: ~1.5 weeks - 08ADVANCED
Apache Spark — Batch
Process massive datasets at scale. DataFrames, transformations, optimizations, and real ETL jobs.
Duration: ~2.5 weeks - 09ADVANCED
Apache Spark — Streaming
Real-time processing with Spark Structured Streaming. Micro-batches, windowing, stateful operations.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 10ADVANCED
Apache Kafka
The backbone of real-time data pipelines. Producers, consumers, topics, partitions, Kafka Connect.
Duration: ~2 weeks - 11CAPSTONE
Final Project
Build a real end-to-end data pipeline from scratch. Ingest → Transform → Store → Visualize. Evaluated individually. Goes straight into your portfolio.
Duration: ~3 weeks
By step 11, you won't just know these tools. You'll have used them together to build something real.
Taught by someone who actually does this.
Mohamed Atef Fahmy
Senior Data Engineer
I didn't learn data engineering from tutorials. I learned it by building systems that couldn't fail.
I'm a Senior Data Engineer with 6+ years of experience building production-grade data systems across the UAE.
I currently work as a Senior Data Engineer at the Statistics Centre of Abu Dhabi (SCAD).
Before that, at e& (Etisalat), the UAE's largest telecom, I took a Spark/Scala ETL pipeline from 16 hours down to 2 hours — an 87.5% performance improvement on a mission-critical system.
From July 2023 to December 2024, I was a Session Lead at Udacity, mentoring learners in programming fundamentals, data analytics, web development, AI, cybersecurity, and Python — simplifying complex topics through hands-on, engaging sessions and personalized support.
I hold an Azure Data Engineer Associate certification (DP-203) and I've worked across Scrapy, Airflow, Spark, Kafka, Docker, Hadoop, and Hive in real production environments.
I'm not teaching you what I read in a book. I'm teaching you what I do every day.
The best engineers I know didn't learn from courses. They learned by building things that mattered. That's what we're going to do.
It doesn't end at graduation.
This cohort is the start of a community. We host events and bring in experts to keep everyone connected, current, and learning long after the bootcamp ends.
Expert Talks
We invite Data Engineers, AI Engineers, and BI Engineers to share how they design and ship real systems.
Events & Meetups
Regular in-person gatherings in Abu Dhabi to connect, network, and grow with people who do this work.
Real Conversations
Talks on the current state of the field, modern architectures, the latest tools, and where AI is taking data.
No good data engineers — no AI.
🇦🇪 The UAE is building one of the world's leading AI nations. But every AI model, every agent, every insight runs on data — and data doesn't move itself. Strong AI starts with strong data engineers. That's exactly what this community exists to build.
Apply for Cohort 01
10 seats. Free. On-site in Abu Dhabi. We review applications on a rolling basis. Strong applicants are contacted within 3–5 business days.