JEDDAH — Senior banking and finance students of Dar Al-Hekma University recently received Certified Islamic Banker (CIB) qualification from the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI). Ten DAH students took the test in Bahrain and passed after going through intensive one-week training. Being a CIB enhances the knowledge and understanding of Islamic banking principles and opens doors to many professional opportunities. "Dr. (Saci) Karima, the chair of banking and finance department informed me that 10 girls passed the CIB test. Do you understand what that means? You were prepared by your school and faculty, who worked with you day and night; you have been prepared mentally and professionally, you have assets that other students do not have and you possess knowledge that other students do not have and you are only in the beginning of your journey and still have many years to work on yourself. This gives you a great advantage over other graduates and this will give you a head start on your peers," Dr. Suhair Hassan Al Qurashi, president of DAH, told the students during a celebration ceremony. Shaza Salim, Alanood Ali Almautlak, Arwa Abdullah Yaslam Al-Nahdi, Lian Essam Baghaffar, Naima Akhter, Maha Abdullah, Baraa Mohammed Al-Afif, Ala Nabeel Hejazi, Hawazen Zahran and Nojoud Nawaf Aladwani are now Certified Islamic Bankers. The trip was organized by DAH banking and finance program in collaboration with CIBAFI and throughout the trip the students were supported and accompanied by Dr. Karima and Saida Khalifa, a lecturer in the program. "This certification will equip the students with the skills required in Islamic financial markets. This will open up job opportunities for them with the financial institutions in Saudi Arabia, in the region and internationally. The certification will be a valuable addition to the Islamic financial markets as it will contribute to the capacity building efforts in an area that suffers from acute shortage of qualified human resources," said Dr. Amal El-Tigani, vice president for finance and administration at the university. The students took an extensive course in Bahrain. It was designed by CIBAFI, an international infrastructure institution which represents the Islamic financial services industry globally with nearly 120 members and over 30 jurisdictions, representing Islamic banks, market players, international intergovernmental organizations and professional firms and industry associations. The students visited three major players in the banking arena to help them better understated the roles they play. Dr. Hamed Hassan Merah, secretary general in the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) gave the students an overview of the AAOIFI roles and responsibilities. In the Central Bank of Bahrain, Fahad Yateem, the head of Retail Islamic Banking Supervision, who presented to the students the role that banks play in retail Islamic banking. Finally, Al-Baraka team gave the students an overview about the Islamic banking operation that was led by Hassan Hassani, vice president of corporate sommunications.
