Muscat, February 15, 2015

In further demonstration of Bank Sohar's commitment towards encouraging educational initiatives in the Sultanate and further developing employment opportunities for Omani youth, Bank Sohar has renewed its support to the Al Najah Education programme for the fifth consecutive year. Al Najah is a project initiated by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) to ensure that lesser privileged students are able to pursue higher education opportunities and therefore a more promising future.

Since 2010, Bank Sohar has been supporting the Al Najah Education Program by sponsoring the university education fees of five students.  This year, the Bank was pleased to announce that the undergraduate students that they had decided to support hailed from the fields of Nutrition, Information Technology and Management.

The sponsorship amount was recently handed over to Engr. Redha Juma Mohammed Ali Al Saleh, Vice Chairman for Administration and Finance Affairs, Chairman of Al Najah Programme at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, by Mr. Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, AGM and Head of Marketing and Publicity of Bank Sohar, at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry head office.

Giving thanks to Bank Sohar for their dedication to the cause, Engr. Redha Juma Mohammed Ali Al Saleh commented, "It gives us great pleasure to join hands with Bank Sohar once more, in a combined effort to create a better environment for the Omani youth, preparing them for the manifold challenges that come with a higher education and career development. To secure the future of our nation, it is essential that more and more of such incubators of talents are created and supported by corporates."

Commenting on the Bank's contribution, Ms. Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM of Human Resources and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, "Al Najah programme helps students from families with limited resources to access a full university education. Such an opportunity is not only the stepping stone to a holistic impact on the community and the nation at large, but also an encouragement to the SME sector, which could be pioneered by some of these students in the future. We at Bank Sohar consistently believed in the support of youth and giving them the means to enhance their careers, Bank Sohar is pleased to announce the fifth consecutive year of association with this highly rewarding initiative."

Bank Sohar strives to ensure that its contributions are carefully planned and evaluated in order to diversify and reach out to the maximum number of people especially those in most need of it, offering recipients positive support and making a meaningful change. Over the course of the past year, the Bank supported a broad range of charitable organizations across the Sultanate including Dar Al Atta, Al Amal Association, Oman Road Safety Association, Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities, Creative Centre for Rehabilitation, Al Wafa Social Centre for Children with Disabilities, Oman Association for the Disabled (Muscat and Sohar branches), Al Noor Association for the Blind (Sohar, Salalah and Muscat branches), the Oman Cancer Association, The Omani Women's Association - Al Amerat Branch, the Oman Hereditary Blood Disorder Association, The Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children together with its dedicated Autism Centre, The Omani Association for Elderly Friends and 'Hope Smile' Volunteer team. Bank Sohar's CSR initiatives have become a central part of its operational strategy and as a result, it has received numerous accolades for its CSR efforts over the past years, both regionally and internationally. The Bank plans to continue in its unwavering quest of philanthropy with many more donations and charitable events planned for the current year.

To learn more about Bank Sohar, please visit the Bank's official website at www.banksohar.net. You can also find additional information by following the Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/excel.banksohar, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/banksoharexcel or join the conversation on Twitter @banksohar_excel.

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© Press Release 2015