MANAMA, Bahrain, Jan. 11, 2023 /CNW/ — City Bahrain celebrated the first anniversary of its Global Technology Hub, which plans to employ 1,000 Bahraini programmers over 10 years. Currently, the Hub is made up of 110 Bahraini employees, of which 91 Bahrainis have started working at City Seef’s facility, with another 19 due to join soon. Female participants in the Hub make up 22% of the total Bahraini workforce, higher than the average female representation in other City Tech Hubs around the world.
Bahrain’s Citi Global Tech Hub celebrates its first anniversary (PRNewsfoto/Bahrain EDB)
When selecting countries for its Global Technology Hub, Citi conducted a rigorous technical coding test and interview process, with Bahraini talent showing the highest success rate compared to other regions. Even more encouraging is the level of female talent in Bahrain’s candidate pool. According to Meta’s Inclusive Internet Index (2022), Bahrain ranks first globally in multiple sub-indexes, including women’s digital skills training and STEM education, open data policies and privacy regulations.
Commenting on the anniversary and the contributions of the women at the hub, Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Member of the Supreme Council for Women and Chairperson of the Bahrain Fintech Women’s Committee, said: “We are pleased to see Citi’s achievements one year since the launch of the hub. These efforts are having a positive impact on achieving the goals of the Fintech Women’s Committee, which works under the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women and the National Gender Balance Initiative in Future Sciences, in line with the direction of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s Digital Transformation Initiative. We are proud that Bahraini women are directly contributing to the operation and growth of Citi’s Global Tech Hub.”
Furthermore, Rashid Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, commented on the occasion: “The financial services sector has progressed over the past decade and we expect to see further changes as the pace of digitalisation accelerates in the coming years. We are proud that Bahrain’s talent and capabilities are helping and contributing to the development of a global centre in partnership with reputed financial institutions to foster digital solutions in the financial sector.”
Michelle Sawaya, CEO of Citi Bahrain, said Citi has achieved great results since launch. “Our programmers have had a huge impact on the development of our digital platforms, including Citi Velocity and Citi FX Pulse. Their active contributions have helped implement key features and have subsequently been part of larger projects that have helped us serve Citi’s clients around the world,” he said.
Citi launched the Global Tech Hub last year as part of a strategic partnership with Bahrain’s labor fund Tamkeen and the country’s investment promotion agency, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB). The hub, the first of its kind in the region, aims to develop and improve digital solutions for Citi’s local and global clients as well as create 1,000 tech jobs for Bahrainis over 10 years.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981419/CITI_Tech_Hub_Group.jpg
Source: Bahrain EDB
For more information, please contact Abdulella Abdullah from the Economic Development Authority’s Communications Department at +973-39798919. [email protected]
