The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and Aon Saudi Arabia have signed a deal to launch Aon Academy, an accredited graduate development programme aimed at recruiting and training fresh Saudi graduates in insurance and insurance brokerage.

The event, held at the Marriott Hotel in Riyadh, was hosted in the presence of Aon Saudi Arabia chief executive Naji Al Tamimi, senior Aon executives from the Riyadh and Eastern Province offices, BIBF assistant director and Centre for Insurance head Husain Al Ajmi and Aon Middle East HR manager Manal Al Attar.

Al Tamimi said that the academy will enable Saudi youth to be trained and qualified to work in the insurance sector and develop it according to global standards, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

 The selection criteria will be announced at a later stage.

"Aon Middle East is growing rapidly, particularly in Saudi Arabia. To maintain our position in the market and fuel our growth, we must hire and retain the best local talent with the required knowledge skills to help us achieve our objectives," added Al Tamimi.

On the training deal, Al Ajmi said: "BIBF will continue to go the extra mile in extending support, services and flexibility to its partners and ultimately its candidates in their development as insurance professionals."

"Along with our world-class faculty, BIBF has developed internationally-accredited training programmes and materials that are unavailable anywhere else, and we look forward to seeing the academy achieve its desired objectives and contribute to developing Saudi youth in the insurance sector," he added.

Al Attar said: "As an industry leader, we are proud to partner with the BIBF, one of the most respected institutions of its kind in the Mena region. The agreement reflects the significance of the initiative and what it has to offer in terms of programmes for Saudi nationals."

The academy, she stated, will enable us to develop the expertise of fresh Saudi graduates while supporting them to pursue their professional insurance qualifications.

"This will ensure that we will have a pool of qualified and experienced bi-lingual insurance brokerage professionals who will lead the company in the near future," she added.-TradeArabia News Service