QIIB signed a partnership agreement with KidzMondo Doha, Qatar’s one-of-a-kind miniature edutainment city coming up at Mall of Qatar, yesterday.
The partnership will lead to the addition of a fun and educative activity to the entertaining learning experience that the indoor theme park aims to foster in young minds, according to a statement.
Through its partnership with QIIB, KidzMondo Doha will offer children an opportunity to enact “dream roles” as employees and customers of a bank and get an understanding of the functioning of financial environments.
Children will be exposed to banking activities such as opening their own bank account, how to encash cheques and how to deposit and withdraw money from their accounts or ATM machines. These activities are age-appropriate and held in a dynamic and safe surrounding, the statement notes.
The signing ceremony was attended by Abdulbasit Ahmed A al-Shaibei, CEO of QIIB; Moutaz al-Khayyat, CEO of UCC; Ali Kazma, chairman of KidzHolding and founder of the KidzMondo concept; Shem Krey, managing director for Mall of Qatar; Nabil R Barakat, general manager of KidzMondo Doha; and Sari Salibi, group chief marketing officer of Power Holding.
A number of other QIIB officials were also present - Jamal Abdullah al-Jamal, deputy CEO; Ali al-Mesaifri, chief, HR and general services; and Masson Mohamed al-Asfar, chief of corporate banking.
On the occasion, al-Shaibei said: “This partnership is apart of our corporate social responsibility initiatives at QIIB, and we are happy to be able to give our children something to learn from in an exciting and entertaining environment suitable for their age.
“In fact, KidzMondo’s innovative approach to provide banking information to children encouraged us and gave us an important opportunity to disseminate the principles of Islamic banking principles and educate the new generation about this subject.”
Kazma noted, “We are excited about our latest partnership with Qatar International Islamic Bank as KidzMondo Doha further expands its array of fun and educative role-play activities for kids.”
Barakat added, “Today is a very special day for KidzMondo Doha as we have joined forces with QIIB to enhance our concept even more.”
Meanwhile, Krey said: “Mall of Qatar is proud and pleased to have KidzMondo Doha as an anchored tenant. It will benefit the mall as a major attraction where children and parents will spend a lot of their time.”
The indoor entertainment park, with its own economy, currency (Kidlar), public services and establishments, has been designed to provide a holistic experience to “unlock imagination and creativity in children, while empowering them with knowledge, essential skills and life-lessons that help them become well-versed individuals and prepare them for the professional world of adults, in an interactive and entertaining way”, the statement adds.