BIBF launches AI Academy to develop AI workforce skills

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) has launched an AI Academy to develop artificial intelligence skills for individuals and organisations, bringing its AI-related programmes under a single platform. The Academy will offer professional certifications, executive education, advanced courses and customised corporate training designed for varied experience levels, and builds on BIBF’s track record of training more than 3,000 participants and delivering over 45 AI-related programmes since 2022.

“The launch of the AI Academy comes at a time when AI skills are becoming increasingly important across sectors and job roles. Through this Academy, we provide practical programmes that help individuals and organisations understand AI and use it efficiently and responsibly. The AI Academy brings our AI programmes under one clear structure, serving different learner levels and organisational needs,” said Dr. Ahmed Al Shaikh, CEO – BIBF.

The AI Academy is positioned to address demand for AI capabilities across multiple functions and industries. BIBF highlights the relevance of AI skills in financial services, insurance, business, human resources, marketing, operations, risk management and leadership. Programmes will cover AI fundamentals and business applications as well as advanced technical topics, and will include tailored options for executive and board-level education.

Afnan AlSaleh, Acting Head of the Centre for Digital Transformation and Project Management at BIBF, emphasised the practical orientation of the new Academy. “The Academy has been designed with a practical approach that focuses on real-world applications, hands-on exercises, and the use of AI tools,” AlSaleh said, noting that course content also addresses governance and ethical considerations.

Programmes and practical focus

• Course types: professional certifications, executive education, advanced courses and customised corporate training.
• Learner levels: programmes for beginners through to advanced practitioners and board-level executives.
• Curriculum topics: AI fundamentals, business applications, AI governance, risk management, technology ethics, transparency and responsible AI use.
• Delivery approach: hands-on exercises, real-world case studies and training on AI tools to support workplace adoption.

BIBF says the Academy consolidates its prior AI efforts into a clearer structure to better serve organisations seeking to upskill staff or embed AI capabilities. The institute reported that since 2022 it has trained more than 3,000 participants and delivered over 45 programmes related to artificial intelligence, a foundation the Academy will expand through more structured and customised offerings.

By combining executive education with technical and domain-focused training, the AI Academy aims to help organisations not only implement AI tools but do so with attention to governance and responsible practice. AlSaleh added that flexible training programmes can be customised to meet the needs of individual organisations, with the objective of helping participants apply AI in their work while supporting responsible adoption of the technology.

Looking ahead, the AI Academy will serve as a centralised education hub for BIBF’s AI initiatives, offering certifications and corporate solutions to support the adoption of AI across sectors. The institute expects the structured learning pathway and practical, tool-based instruction to assist professionals and organisations in keeping pace with growing AI use in the labour market and in managing associated risks.