President of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA), Dr. Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, today held a virtual meeting with the Director-General of the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), Dr. Ahmed Al-Shaikh, with the participation of Ahmed Al-Nuaimi and Zeeba Askar.

The meeting focused on BIBF’s initiative to launch the Sustainable Development Academy (SDA) to build capacities in sustainable financing, in partnership with Fitch Learning and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF).

SDA aims to reskill and upskill banking and finance professionals, as well as support the sustainable development goals that are in line with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

Dr. Mirza commended the efforts and contributions of BIBF to enrich the Bahraini labour market through preparing students and bankers with global competitive skills, stressing the pivotal role played by academic institutions to support the national efforts to build national capacities in order to enable them to compete in the specialised labour market, especially in the fields of sustainable financing, which will increase their chances to find specialised jobs.

He added that BIBF’s inauguration of the Sustainable Development Academy reflects the readiness of the public and private sectors to support the comprehensive development vision, noting that the initiative will reflect positively on the performance of financing and banking institutions which will be able to deliver services and packages that support sustainable development projects in the kingdom.

He underlined SEA’s commitment to cooperating with academic and training institutions in the kingdom, whether in developing educational programmes, curricula and capacity building, or by enabling them to benefit from renewable energy systems and energy efficiency solutions in their buildings and facilities, to reduce electricity bills and their carbon footprint.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Shaikh reviewed BIBF’s vision, academic objects, programmes and strategies based on its commitment to providing the highest levels of education and training services.

He added that Bahrain’s efforts in achieving the sustainable development goals have made it one of the leading countries in the global sustainability process, as a model that enjoys international appreciation in the ability to mobilise and direct the available capabilities and resources in an optimal manner in order to achieve the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

He also praised the kingdom’s multiple sustainable energy achievements over a short period, lauding the important and pivotal role played by the Sustainable Energy Authority, led by Dr. Mirza.