NBB Group launches AI and Digital Banking Academy with Tamkeen support
The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) Group - including the National Bank of Bahrain and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) - has launched an AI and Digital Banking Academy in partnership with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen). Backed by Tamkeen's Enterprise Training Support Programme, the initiative builds digital capability across the workforce and supports NBB Group's 2025 plan to strengthen the competitiveness of Bahraini talent while accelerating digital change in the private sector.
Maram Buallay, Acting Group Chief Human Resources Officer at NBB, said the programme is set up to develop both technical and creative skills so teams keep pace with technology and push innovation inside the organisation.
What the academy includes
- Seven days of focused learning with hands-on practice
- Core tracks: project management, data analytics, digital payments, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and automation
- A concluding hackathon to encourage cross-functional teamwork and practical problem-solving
- Accredited certificates on completion
Why HR leaders should care
- Clear upskilling path: Structured learning across priority digital domains maps neatly to banking roles in operations, risk, product, IT, and customer experience.
- Faster adoption: The hackathon turns theory into action, reducing time from training to on-the-job use.
- Talent mobility: Certificates help HR validate skills for internal moves and succession pipelines.
- Employer brand: A visible, credentialed programme signals growth opportunities and helps attract high-potential candidates.
How HR can replicate this model
- Baseline the skills: Run a short assessment to map current capability by role (analyst, product manager, compliance, branch ops).
- Define a competency matrix: Prioritise the skills that impact revenue, risk, service quality, and cost to serve.
- Blend formats: Mix short courses, tool sandboxes, peer learning, and a hackathon tied to real business cases.
- Leverage funding: Where available, use national training support (e.g., Tamkeen) to scale and certify.
- Enable managers: Provide simple coaching guides and on-the-job assignments that match each module.
- Set guardrails: Include data privacy, model risk, and ethical use standards from Legal, Risk, and InfoSec.
- Make it stackable: Tie certificates to job families and pay/grade progression where appropriate.
Seven-day blueprint you can adapt
- Day 1: Digital strategy, change readiness, and use-case discovery
- Day 2: Data literacy and analytics for decision-making
- Day 3: Project management for digital initiatives (agile basics)
- Day 4: Digital payments and compliance essentials
- Day 5: AI fundamentals, prompt practices, and risk controls
- Day 6: Blockchain and automation in banking workflows
- Day 7: Hackathon: cross-functional teams prototype a live use case
Metrics that prove value
- Completion rate and assessment scores by role
- Number of hackathon ideas moved to pilot and production
- Cycle-time reduction for targeted processes (e.g., reporting, onboarding)
- Customer NPS or complaint reduction tied to digital journeys touched by graduates
- Internal mobility and retention of certified employees
Useful resources
- World Economic Forum: Future of Jobs Report - a solid view on skills shifts and emerging roles.
- SHRM: Artificial Intelligence in HR - policies, adoption guides, and ethics considerations.
Need a faster way to source training paths?
If you're mapping courses to job families and certifications, this directory can help shortlist options by role: Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
This move from NBB Group, with Tamkeen's support, sets a clear example: pick the skills that matter, teach them in a focused sprint, validate with a real project, and certify. HR's role is to make it repeatable, measurable, and tied to business outcomes.
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