NBB Group and BisB Launch AI and Digital Banking Academy with Tamkeen Support

NBB Group and Bahrain Islamic Bank have established a joint Artificial Intelligence and Digital Banking Academy, supported by Bahrain's Labour Fund Tamkeen, to upskill financial sector employees in AI applications, data analytics, and digital banking technologies.

The academy is designed to address the growing demand for technology-skilled professionals in Bahrain's banking sector, where the rapid deployment of AI and digital services has created a skills gap between existing workforce capabilities and the competencies needed to operate modern banking technology.

Tamkeen's support reflects the Bahraini government's recognition that human capital development is essential to the success of the country's digital financial services strategy. The labour fund provides financial backing for training programmes that build skills aligned with national economic priorities.

The curriculum covers practical AI applications in banking, including machine learning for credit scoring, natural language processing for customer service, data analytics for risk management, and digital banking product development. The academy draws on expertise from both NBB and BisB, providing participants with perspectives from both conventional and Islamic banking operations.

The joint venture between a conventional bank (NBB) and an Islamic bank (BisB) is notable, as it demonstrates that technology skills development transcends the conventional-Islamic banking divide. Both types of institutions face the same technology modernisation challenges and compete for the same pool of technology talent.

The academy represents a significant investment in human capital development within Bahrain's financial sector.