Kuwait-8 June, 2014: Gulf Bank and Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), recently organized a special Innovation Training Workshop for Gulf Bank middle-ranking employees to encourage innovative thinking and problem solving.

The workshop that was held at Four Points – Sheraton last week, was designed and delivered for the Bank by the New York based 'Future Think LLC', a leading learning company that provides innovative solutions to organizations worldwide.

The three day training workshop was designed to encourage the development of innovative skills and capabilities in creative problem-solving, idea generation, risk tolerance, and collaborative engagement.  The program comprised a mixture of seminars and practical workshops to encourage innovation, including focus on personal innovation, how business units can embrace innovation in working environments through effective communication, and proven techniques and how-to tools to create immediate and lasting impact.

At the start of the workshop, Mrs. Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager – Human Resources at Gulf Bank addressed delegates about the importance of training and innovative thinking.  She said:   "Gulf Bank is known as an organization that is committed to nurturing Kuwaiti talent, as well as a financial institution that provides the best banking products and services in Kuwait.  We believe that our human capital is our most valuable asset and therefore we must invest in this asset in ways to maximize opportunities for individuals to grow and develop with our organization.  We value teamwork and empowerment and we will continue to focus on these aspects as we work with you in developing your knowledge and abilities."

On the other hand, Director of Innovation and Enterprise Directorate at Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science Dr. Mohammed Salman stated, "This workshop comes in line with KFAS's new strategy to promote and aid the development of the capabilities of the private sector's scientific and technological capabilities and to participate in building a knowledge based economy." Adding "that the Directorate supports training programs which provide tools and skills aimed at enriching innovative thinking within the private sector employees, resulting in the improvement of business productivity and competitiveness."

Gulf Bank places great emphasis on training and development of its employees through its Learning and Development department, which produces tailor-made packages and training programs for developing employee expertise.  In 2013, Gulf Bank conducted 125 training courses, training 1,377 newly recruited employees, as well as numerous courses at middle and senior management level focusing on technical and leadership competencies, with strong emphasis on corporate governance and compliance.

As one of Kuwait's leading employers and recruiters, Gulf Bank has always placed its human capital at the forefront, focusing on opening up opportunities to young Kuwaitis, creating meaningful roles and challenges for employees to help them develop their careers, and in doing so, to contribute to the country's economic progress.

One of the speakers during the program

Mrs. Salma Al-Hajjaj during the program

A group of Gulf Bank employees during the training program