The Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA) held a graduation ceremony for the eighth cohort of the national program “Kawader Malia”, which is under the patronage and presence of His Excellency Sheikh Bandar Bin Mohammed Bin Saoud Al-Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank. The ceremony witnessed the participation of a number of officials and CEOs from Qatar’s leading banks and financial institutions.

The ceremony saw the graduation of 72 Qatari students, bringing the total number of participants in the program since its inception in 2013 to 249.

On this occasion, H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al- Khalifa, Chairman of Qatar Finance and Business Academy, congratulated the new graduates on their outstanding success, emphasizing that the graduates are reaping the fruits of their efforts and perseverance over the past months in order to acquire all the skills and knowledge that qualify them to achieve their developmental and professional goals, and to contribute effectively to the development of their institutions and improve their performance. 
He noted that the program's eighth cohort students were able to completely fulfill all its requirements, becoming competent and ready to continue their successful careers.

H.E. the Chairman of QFBA also stated that the State of Qatar has paid special attention to supporting the private sector and enhancing its competitiveness, and in this context, it has directed towards supporting the localization of jobs in it by implementing a series of initiatives to support localization strategies, through which it aimed to achieve an important strategic goal based on the need to empower the country's citizens, develop their capabilities, and provide them with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to assume leadership positions in the future.

"The national program "Kawader Malia" is one of Qatar Finance and Business Academy's most important initiatives aimed at supporting the country's efforts in supporting this localization process, particularly in the fields of insurance and financial services." H.E. added.

“After a number of graduates joined prestigious financial services institutions in Qatar, and enabled them to prove their worth and distinction in the positions they occupied, and their effective contribution to the development of their institutions and improving their performance, the program has already succeeded in achieving its desired goals over the course of its previous editions.” H.E. explained.

In his turn, Mr. Khalifa Al-Yafei, CEO of Qatar Finance and Business Academy, stated: "For the first time since the program's inception, the eighth edition saw the expansion of the scope of the educational modules and the specialized pathways that it included to include five educational modules represented in Introduction to Finance & Banking, Leadership & Management (ILM level 3 Certification), Pathway qualifications, Career Readiness Session as well as a four-week practical training experience. 

He also noted that the number of specialized certification pathways for the program reached four pathways, in which students were selected and registered based on the criteria specified for each pathway and after conducting personal interviews with them. 

“The Certified Financial Analyst Certificate in Environmental Social Governance (ESG), the Certificate in Risk in Financial Services (RFS), the Certificate in International Introduction to Securities and Investment (IISI), and the Certificate in General Insurance (CII W01) were among the qualifications provided." He added.

The list of partners and sponsors supporting this year’s edition included the distinguished partnership with Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Financial Center, Ministry of Labor, Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, sponsorship of Qatar National Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Dukhan Bank, and Qatar Insurance Group. , Al Ahli Bank, Qatar Development Bank, Doha Bank and Qatar Islamic Bank.

The training institutions with whom the program collaborated throughout the practical training phase comprised 18 local institutions as well as seven prestigious international institutions that offered training services to students enrolled in the program. 

It should be mentioned that “Kawader Malia” program was inaugurated in 2013, and seven prior editions have been held. It aims to give participants the chance to expand their understanding of the financial services sector as well as their leadership and management abilities. The Kawader Malia programme lasts three months and involves two months of training programs and one month of practical training in companies and institutions.