Qatar Financial and Business Academy (QFBA), a learning and development organisation, will launch a number of programmes in October in banking, asset management, capital markets, insurance and financial services leadership.

QFBA was established in partnership between the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and Qatar Foundation (QF) for education, science and community development to support and build Qatar’s reputation as a leading regional centre for financial services, education and research.

The senior management team of QFBA, drawn from world-class business schools such as Columbia, Insead, IESE, Harvard and London Business School, will steer ongoing development of the learning programme. QFBA will offer internationally recognised qualifications as a major part of its portfolio.

“Organisations are recognising the importance of learning as a strategic differentiator. Essentially the organisations that invest in the development of their people compete more effectively,” said Jon Morton, director of QFBA.

“QFBA designs learning in relationship to the business context - the critical issues facing professionals and organisations in the current and future global business environment,” he added.

Dr Abdulla Al Thani, vice president – education at Qatar Foundation, said: “The new academy will serve to improve standards and equip professionals with the necessary skills to add value to the efforts to make Doha a financial hub in the region.

“We made sure that QFBA targets executives at all levels and offers them a comprehensive yet personalized range of courses that they will find beneficial throughout their careers.”

Dr Ahmad Hasnah, associate vice president for higher education at Qatar Foundation, said: “Today we are proud to be working with QFCA to inaugurate a specialized academy for business and finance professionals. We have selected qualified trainers from some of the most prestigious institutions in the field and we are confident this new academy will benefit many.”  

'QFBA forms an integral part of Qatar’s strategic intent to become the regional centre for the financial services industry,' concluded Stuart Pearce, CEO and director general, QFCA. 'It also aims to develop Qatar’s current and future generation of financial specialists, contributing towards the development of the knowledge-driven economy.”  – TradeArabia News Service