Mastercard and Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance collaborate to spur skill development in the regional financial sector

First-of-its-kind collaboration to initiate a renewed understanding of the latest industry insights and developments for professionals in banking as well as other related financial sectors

Dedicated to helping professionals in the payments industry to continuously enhance their skill sets and stay up-to-date on industry trends, the Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance – BIBF’s Payments Academy and Mastercard have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Bahrain.

The BIBF is the training arm of the Central Bank of Bahrain and the region’s premier training and development provider, recognized for the value, thought leadership and quality of its programs.

As part of the collaboration with BIBF’s Payments Academy, Mastercard Academy Middle East and Africa (MEA) will develop an engaging academic and training module designed to enhance technical performance and leadership qualities for professionals in the financial sector.

Speaking about the program, Mr. Raghav Prasad, General Manager for Gulf Countries, Mastercard, said: “We are excited to see our shared efforts in honing intellectual and technical capabilities in Bahrain improve customer satisfaction and effectiveness of financial services. The collaboration will emerge as an important component in countries looking to boost education and build a knowledge-based economy.”

The BIBF’s Head of Banking and Accounting, Mr. Deen Jayah also stated, “The Academy is an initiative taken by the BIBF to fill a gap that prevailed in the financial services to upskill staff talent within the payments sector. This initiative would introduce latest industry-related training courses that will not only be used to train existing staff but bring new talent from Bahrain and the GCC region to the payment sector, giving them new career opportunities in the process.”

Since its inception in 1981, the BIBF has been committed to providing quality education across major business disciplines, thereby playing a crucial role in human capital development in the country. It currently offers over 300 different courses to the financial and corporate market, and enrolls close to 20,000 trainees annually.

Mastercard is proud to invest in skill development across Middle East and Africa and create a growing pool of qualified human resources that will guide the future of the financial sector in this part of the world. It is geared towards increasing thought leadership in a region endowed with the energies and creativity of youth, and will continue to harness their talents to realize its vision of a ‘World Beyond Cash’.