Manama – The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) hosted its Annual Insurance Roundtable at its premises in Bahrain Bay, bringing together more than 70 representatives, professionals, and stakeholders from across the insurance sector.

The event formed part of BIBF’s ongoing efforts to support human capital development in the Kingdom of Bahrain and strengthen the readiness of national talent to respond to the rapid changes shaping the insurance industry, particularly in the areas of digital transformation, risk management, sustainability, and leadership.

The roundtable opened with welcome remarks by Ms Manal Mashkoor, Head of the Insurance Centre at BIBF, who highlighted the importance of direct dialogue with the sector and listening closely to market needs in order to design training programmes that are more closely aligned with real workplace requirements.

Ms Mashkoor also delivered a presentation titled “Insurance Skills Gap: From International to Local”, which explored the key future skills required by the sector. These included artificial intelligence, data analytics, cyber risk management, sustainability, analytical thinking, leadership, communication, and adaptability, in addition to technical capabilities related to insurance, risk management, and regulatory governance.

The event also featured a main session titled “The Untapped Middle: Developing Tomorrow’s Insurance Leaders”, delivered by Ms Lamia Kuwaiti. The session addressed the importance of developing middle management within insurance organisations and moving beyond technical expertise alone to build leadership capabilities such as people management, communication, decision-making, strategic thinking, and the ability to respond to modern workplace challenges.

The roundtable included focus group discussions and an interactive feedback session aimed at validating the findings of BIBF’s skills needs study, identifying current capability gaps, prioritising future workforce requirements, and recommending new areas for development that can enhance workforce readiness and strengthen the competitiveness of insurance institutions.

Commenting on the occasion, Ms Manal Mashkoor, Head of the Insurance Centre at BIBF, said: “Developing the insurance sector requires a clear understanding of the skills the market will need in the next phase, particularly in light of rapid digital and regulatory transformation. Through this roundtable, BIBF is creating a direct dialogue with the industry to ensure that training programmes are aligned with the real needs of institutions, while supporting the development of national talent capable of leading the future of insurance in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

She added that the outcomes of the event will support the continued development of the Insurance Centre’s programmes in line with industry priorities and labour market needs, while strengthening the alignment of training with local and international developments.

BIBF continues to offer and develop specialised programmes in insurance, takaful, risk management, regulation and supervision, and leadership and technical skills, supporting the development of national talent and the sustainable growth of the insurance sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.