Almaty, Kazakhstan; Manama: Almaty is gearing up to become a regional Islamic finance hub since it welcomed Islamic finance in the country in 2009, thanks to the efforts of the National Bank of Kazakhstan’s support.
A tremendous boost to this initiative has been the recently approved government decree the “Road Map on development of Islamic Finance in Kazakhstan by 2020”.
The General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI), the global umbrella of Islamic financial institutions, has successfully launched its ‘Certified Islamic Banker’ training programme for 50 Senior Bankers from 6 – CIS Countries and Central Asia.
The professional development training programme, which is held in the Regional Financial Center of Almaty (RFCA) Academy on 9 – 13 February 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan is organised by CIBAFI, supported by the Islamic Development Bank and hosted by the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
The objective of the training programme is to engage participants in the discussion on the contemporary environment and the latest Islamic banking operations. In addition, it will give the participants a good overview of some of the widely used contracts in Islamic banking. The stimulating, interactive training seamlessly integrates theory with practice to offer participants hands on experience and provide the practical tools and techniques that will enhance their day-to-day professional performance.
“Empowered by CIBAFI mandate to disseminate rules and principles of Islamic finance worldwide, we are determined to facilitate Islamic finance development in CIS countries and support the strive of Kazakhstan to develop its Islamic financial sector. ”
The CIB programme being held in Kazakhstan is one of the many professional development initiatives spearheaded by CIBAFI as it strives to enhance capacity building and human capital development in the Islamic Financial Services Industry.
“This programme is our response to a number of visits from CIS officials during last year to our headquarters in Bahrain. We are pleased to welcome participants from Regulators, Practitioners, Academia and Scholars, from Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Russian Federation and Turkey. This undoubtedly highlights the untapped potential and great interest towards Islamic Finance in this region,” Belatik, added.