Bahrain takes part in UN financing forum
The conference, in its fourth edition, serves as a key international platform that brings together world leaders, heads of international organisations, financial experts, and private sector representatives to collaborate on advancing sustainable development financing.
This year's discussions will focus on enhancing the international financial architecture and addressing funding challenges that hinder progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with priority areas including domestic resource mobilisation, data-driven policymaking, climate-aligned finance, debt sustainability, multilateral bank reform, aid transparency, and strengthened global partnerships.
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Citibank, N.A., Bahrain Branch (Citi Bahrain) announced the expansion of its Global Technology Hub in Manama, adding a new state-of-the-art floor to its facilities. This pivotal milestone aligns with Citi's tactical plans to hire a new wave of talent; the hub has already onboarded a substantial number of programmers and coders, in line with the target to allocate 1,000 coding jobs over a ten-year period for the Bahrain hub. Marking the first in the region, the hub was established in 2021 in a strategic partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen). The expansion is expected to enhance Citi's digital capabilities both regionally and globally in areas such as Electronic Trading, E-Commerce, Big Data and AI, cementing the island nation's growing reputation as a thriving technology and financial hub. Citi Bahrain's tech hub currently develops digital solutions that serve Citi's global portfolio of business lines and clients. H.E. Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Chief Executive of Bahrain EDB; H.E. Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain; Michel Sawaya, CEO of Citi Bahrain; Nikhil Joshi, CIO Markets at Citi, and Kassey Oulhadj, Head of Citi Bahrain Global Technology, attended the inauguration of its expanded premises. H.E. Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Chief Executive of Bahrain EDB, said, 'Citi's continued expansion in Bahrain, year after year, reflects the growing impact of its Global Technology Hub in Manama, which plays a key role in delivering digital solutions that support Citi's global client base. Its progress is a testament to the strength of Bahrain's wider financial services and tech ecosystem, defined by the availability of highly skilled local talent, the agility of the regulatory environment, and the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in enabling high-quality job creation and future-proofed skills development. We look forward to building on this momentum together with Citi, alongside Tamkeen and the CBB, in the years ahead.' From her side, Ms. Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, Tamkeen Chief Executive said: 'At Tamkeen, we prioritize investing in developing and empowering our national workforce and in line with this we actively seek strategic partnerships – both local and international – that support our core objectives by building a pool of qualified national talent capable of contributing to the growth, sustainability and productivity of the organizations they serve.' 'Our collaboration with 'Citi' is built on this foundation as it supports innovation, digital transformation and international growth while preparing the labor market with tech-savvy talent ready to lead and make a real impact in their fields,' added Ms. Mofeez. Tamkeen's strategic priorities for 2025 focus on enhancing the competitiveness of Bahraini nationals in the private sector, equipping them with the skills needed for career development, as well as prioritizing the growth, digitalisation, and sustainability of enterprises. Michel Sawaya, Citi Bahrain CEO, 'I'm proud of the momentum gained by the tech hub since the establishment in 2021. Expanding our offices with an additional floor is a strategic step that exemplifies the notable progress we have achieved against our hiring targets.' Nikhil Joshi, Citi CIO Markets, added 'We see tremendous opportunity to further elevate our digital service development capabilities in Bahrain, as we continue to deliver a wide range of financial solutions to our global clients, such as Electronic Trading, E-Commerce, Big Data and AI.' Citi chose Bahrain as a destination for its tech hub owing to the depth and diversity of the island nation's talent pool, which is further backed by forward-looking regulatory frameworks reinforced by agile government support.
