Qatar is taking big strides towards an increasingly qualified workforce in the financial services industry, according to data from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).
More than 205 exams were taken by financial industry professionals in the past three months, compared to a total of 250 in 2015. A total of 358 exams were taken by financial industry professionals in the financial year (FY) 2015-2016, compared to 209 the previous year, marking a 71% increase year-on-year.
The qualifications included certificates in Islamic Finance, Fundamentals of Financial Services, International Introduction to Securities and Investment, International Certificate in Wealth and Investment Management, Qatari Financial Rules and Regulations, Risk in Financial Services and Global Securities, among others.
The range of topics indicates an overall increase in qualified professionals across various fields in the Qatari financial industry, which demonstrates an increase in the support for professionalism and CISI’s ethical standards in the industry, further bolstering Qatar’s financial services industry and closely supporting the “Human Development” pillar of Qatar’s National Vision for 2030.
Matthew Cowan, regional director Middle East at CISI, said: “It’s heartening to see the increase in the demand for qualifications as this shows the industry is keen to embrace higher standards of professionalism. We’ve seen a tremendous growth in the qualified financial services industry workforce, and we’ve built solid partnerships along the way, which indicate this growth is only going to continue.
“In 2016 and beyond, we’ll be launching new qualifications, hosting interesting workshops, and overall, providing the necessary framework required to further up the level of professionalism in the country’s financial services industry.”