Noor Bank, a leading Sharia compliant bank in the UAE, has signed an agreement with the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies, EIBFS, for the launch of its new Management Associate Programme, entitled ‘Imtiaz,’ meaning excellence, to hire talented Emirati graduates.

Hind Al Attar, Head of Human Resources at Noor Bank and Noura Abbas Ahmed, Director of the Training Department at EIBFS, signed the agreement at a ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai.

Designed in collaboration with EIBFS, the programme is tailored specifically towards talented UAE nationals with the strategic objective of hiring fresh graduates and preparing them for leadership roles within the organisation.

The programme will nurture leadership and management capabilities, as well as provide an understanding of concepts within the banking industry. It will also enable the graduates to acquire knowledge and required proficiency for a future career within banking.

Under the programme, management associates will complete various training sessions for one-and-a-half months at EIBFS headquarters and will become Banking Operations Certified. Once completed, they will then be trained and allocated to a specific role within the bank.

Speaking about the initiative, Hussain Al Qemzi, CEO of Noor Bank, said, "Through the induction of ‘Imtiaz’, Noor Bank once again reiterates its commitment to supporting the development and mentorship of talented UAE nationals. Building human capital competencies is crucial to supporting the nation’s local talent and creating a culture that inspires innovation.

Jamal Al Jassmi, General Manager of EIBFS, said, "EIBFS is proud to collaborate with Noor Bank on a progressive course, exclusively designed to prepare gifted UAE nationals for a role within the bank. The implementation of this programme will provide trainees with the necessary expertise as well a comprehensive understanding of interdepartmental bank functions and operations."

Since inception, Noor Bank has organised several internal and external workshops dedicated towards leadership development of Emirati talent. The bank has also participated in several career fairs as part of its goal to support the national workforce.