Sharjah Islamic Bank receives the Learning Culture of the Year Award from the Human Resources and Learning Platform in the Middle East and Africa

Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) was awarded the Learning Culture of the Year Award presented by the Human Resources and Learning Platform in the Middle East and Africa, at a ceremony held in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dubai. The award was received by Mona Al Ali, Senior Manager of the Bank's Learning and Development Department.

Sustainable work environment supported by learning

Commenting on the accolade, Jassem AlBlooshi, Head of Strategic Management at Sharjah Islamic Bank, said: “We are happy and proud of this honourable achievement, which is a result of SIB's efforts to support and develop its employees by providing a sustainable job environment. Based on education concepts, the bank continues to attract and embrace highly knowledgeable talent and competencies capable of rapid, proactive, and continuous learning. In addition, our commitment to learning enables employees to contribute effectively to achieving a competitive and sustainable advantage in the financial and banking services provided to our customer base of institutions and individuals.”

Jassem AlBlooshi, added that the bank adopts the philosophy of studied organizational learning, whether at the individual, team, or institutional level. Within this framework, a permanent plan is implemented to develop competencies and capabilities to involve distinguished employees in decision-making and problem-solving processes. In addition, the bank overcomes business challenges, especially in the financial and banking sectors, by keeping abreast of global technological developments while ensuring a successful competitive economy based on knowledge and innovation.

He expressed his pride in the team's excellence and participation in achieving the vision, mission, and corporate values.  He mentioned that this is supported by a low turnover rate in the financial sector, which positions the SIB as a leader in building capabilities and adhering to a sustainable work approach.

A functional atmosphere that stimulates knowledge and continuous learning

Sharjah Islamic Bank has successfully created a stable work environment reinforced by the values of specialization, creativity, and self-development. The SIB has established a strong foundation and climate that stimulates knowledge and the achievement of continuous learning as well as the sharing of this knowledge, expertise, experience and best practices, both internally and externally.

Learning and development programs for the benefit of employees

The SIB offers a package of learning and development programs for its employees through the annual training and development agenda.  This includes internal and external courses for all employees and specialized training programs developed internally, such as the Marhaba program, induction package for new employees, and the success journey program that tracks employee performance. Other courses include the newcomers’ program, job rotation program that allows the employee to work in various departments of the SIB, the practical training program that aims to meet the practical training needs of the employee in the specialized work environment, in addition to a group of specialized programs such as The "Masar" program. The developmental program prepares leaders in the bank's various departments to occupy leadership positions through specialized courses, continuous mentoring, and multiple projects, and the integrated "Ruwad" qualification program for graduates. The program focuses on enhancing knowledge and developing technical skills to provide them with comprehensive banking experience.

The Bank's Training and Development Department also provides a platform dedicated to learning and development, adopting many learning channels and inputs such as e-learning and virtual learning in addition to classroom sessions and external conferences and seminars.

Sharjah Islamic Bank has won many awards during the past years in terms of Emiratisation and human resources, the most important of which are the Human Resources Award in the Banking Sector for the years 2003, 2005 and 2006, the Dubai Award for Human Resources Development for the years 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2016, and the Human Resources Development Award in the banking and financial sector in 2017.  This is in addition to many other awards related to the Emiratisation of the industry.