82 August 2018 www.bahrainthismonth.com marketplacebusinessbites His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a Royal Decree which included the appointment of two Bahraini women, Shawqiya Ibrahim Humaidan and Lamia Yousef Al-Fadhala, as directors general of the Capital Secretariat and the Northern Municipality, respectively. Working to encourage municipal work in two governorates, they are the first ladies to take on the position in the history of the Kingdom. The two women in senior administration positions in Bahrain’s municipal work add to the increasing level of female Bahraini participation in public affairs, which includes ministers, those of equivalent rank, and undersecretaries. Celebrating Women In Power Classified amongst other countries with very high indexes, Bahrain ranked 26th globally and fifth in Asia within the United Nations eGovernment Development Index 2018. This makes Bahrain one of only two Arab countries to attain such a position, the other being the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Additionally, the Kingdom also achieved fourth position internationally within the Telecoms Infrastructure index. The efforts of the Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications as well as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority included the launch of network technologies of 5G and the implementation of the Fourth National Telecommunications Plan, instrumental to this success. The country’s performance on Sustainable Development Goals and social and public entities, were also evaluated. Bahrain Bags Global Ranking The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) has partnered with Orchid Developers, a real estate and development company, to provide mortgage financing to the customers of Orchid Plaza. Orchid Developers is one of the first in the Kingdom to offer freehold commercial and residential projects to its customers. Potential buyers will be referred to BBK for consideration if in need of funding. BBK chief executive, Reyad Sater, claims: “Customers from all nationalities residing in the GCC, who wish to own a property in Orchid Plaza, will enjoy excellent interest rates and loan terms from BBK.” Dr Bashar Ahmadi, managing director of Orchid Developers, believes: “This partnership with BBK is a step towards a new era of convenience for [their] customers and building a strong relationship with the bank.” BBK-Orchid Developers Partnership The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), in collaboration with University of Bahrain (UoB), held an information session for UoB students at the Sakhir Campus. The purpose was to highlight the necessity of professional qualifications in addition to students’ academic ones and the focus was on academic certificates plus sector-specific professional qualifications. With employers looking for candidates with vocational experience as well as academic, BIBF offers courses in several areas of specialisation, in collaboration with internationally recognised awards. The aim is to have university students gain the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve the growth objectives of the Kingdom. BIBF and UOB on Employability
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==