The Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), a provider of banking and finance education and training, and DIFC Academy, the provider of education in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s leading global financial centre, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen financial training and expand knowledge exchange.
Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will work together to identify skills gaps in the industry, curate customised programmes and issue certifications for the professionals working in the financial sector in the UAE and beyond. The partnership will deliver cutting-edge learning solutions to enable professionals deepen their competencies in line with the UAE’s national objectives. Furthermore, the two entities will collaborate in hosting workshops and events to raise awareness of DIFC Academy’s schools and EIBFS’s training modules.
Speaking on the agreement, Jamal Al Jassmi, General Manager of EIBFS said: “We are pleased to partner with DIFC Academy on this important initiative. Developing deep-seated competencies in the banking and finance space is now an important priority, and we believe upskilling existing employees is the first step in achieving this goal. Our rigorous annual training programmes, focused on 12 competency-based learning pathways and covering functional skills and soft skills development courses in banking and business-related subjects, can offer significant value for DIFC Academy’s subject matter experts in planning their course content.
“At EIBFS, it is our continuing endeavour to expand our portfolio with partners and colleagues in the industry to address the existing skills gap and thereby deliver on the UAE’s core priorities.”
Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority said: “DIFC is focused on shaping the future of finance and contributing to a knowledge-based economy. In part, we can do this by providing education opportunities for people who already work in the industry as well as the next generation who will contribute in the future. Through the DIFC Academy, we are pleased to be collaborating with EIBFS to develop the much-needed talent in the financial sector across this region.”
Dubai International Financial Centre, a global financial centre and the top innovation hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region has also recently welcomed global payment technology provider Adyen, a company that has a market capitalisation of €66.4 billion and processed over €303.6 billion worth of transactions in 2020.
The Dutch firm Adyen selected the DIFC as the location for their regional headquarters due to the Centre’s regional reach and comprehensive ecosystem. Expanding to Dubai complements Adyen’s presence in other leading financial cities across the world such as New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
The move will enable Adyen’s existing merchant base to launch operations in the region seamlessly, whilst providing merchants from the region with frictionless access to the full strength of the Adyen platform.
“Being part of DIFC’s ecosystem will help Adyen build out our offering to support the needs of both international as well as local merchants”, said Sander Maertens, Head of Middle East at Adyen. “Opportunities in the Middle East region are prevalent. We are looking forward to growing in the region and DIFC was the natural choice for Adyen.”
