H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the UAE, today witnessed the launch of the strategy of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) for 2023 to 2026, as well as the new identity and name of the institute, which will be known as the “Emirates Financial Institute.”

During the ceremony, which was held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the employment of 1,200 male and female citizens in the banking and insurance sectors was announced, including 1,074 affiliates of the Emiratisation programme in the financial sector, in addition to the signing of joint cooperation agreements between the institute and local and international organisations.

Sheikh Mansour highlighted the keenness of the UAE’s leadership, headed by President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to empower the country’s people and enhance their capacities in various fields of work, most notably in the financial sector.

He also lauded the role of the Emirates Financial Institute in supporting and qualifying national cadres, in line with the highest international standards, as well as the importance of its initiatives to promoting innovation and developing the country’s financial sector.

He then congratulated President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed for the graduation of the first batch of the Emiratisation programme in the financial sector and wished them success.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Mansour listened to a brief presentation about the Emiratisation programme in the financial sector and witnessed the signing of four cooperation agreements between the institute, the Scholarships Office in the Presidential Court, and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, Nafis, Oxford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to support the efforts to train national talents, refine their skills and knowledge, and raise their competitiveness.

The ceremony was attended by Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Khalid Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE; Abdul Rahman Saleh Al Saleh, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank; and members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank, Younis Haji Al Khoury, Wassami Dhaen Al Qamzi, and Dr. Ali Muhammad Al Rumaithi, in addition to members of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Financial Institute, and chairmen of the boards of directors of local banks and national insurance companies.

In his speech during the ceremony, Khaled Balama, also the Chairman of the Board of the Institute, expressed his deepest thanks to Sheikh Mansour, for his unwavering support for the Emiratisation efforts in the financial sector.

He stressed that the “Emirates Financial Institute” seeks to play a leading and effective role in the Emiratisation agenda based on the vision of the wise leadership of the UAE for the next fifty years.

Noura Alblooshi, Acting General Manager of EIBFS, said, “The institute is inspired by the vision of our wise leadership to develop Emirati talent and raise their readiness to meet the needs of the future. It supports the Emiratisation file, which is a priority within the strategy of the Central Bank that launched the resource empowerment initiative.”

The ceremony witnessed 1,200 new employees in the banking and insurance sectors taking the professional oath to start their practical journey after their training and qualification.