KHALID MOHAMMED AL-HORR
As the banking and finance landscape grow ever-more complex and interconnected, cybersecurity awareness, education, and expertise become all the more paramount to QFBA's priorities.
BIOGRAPHY
The CEO of QFBA, Khalid Mohammed Al-Horr has strong credentials in the education and development space. In addition to serving as director of the Higher Education Institute at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, he also oversaw the management of nearly 3,000 student scholarships in over 300 institutions across 20 countries and led the development of the Community College of Qatar's bachelor degree offerings. He has successfully negotiated with international partners to renew their agreements with Qatar, such as College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) and the University of Calgary-Qatar. He has also been encouraging private investors to establish higher education institutions in the state of Qatar, such as AFG College (affiliated with Aberdeen University), and University Foundation College.
What is QFBA's current scope and offering in the market with its various programs, initiatives, and activities?
Since its establishment a decade ago, QFBA's mission has been to raise the bar for the financial services industry under Qatar National Vision 2030 and build robust human capital in the sector for a knowledge-based economy. Its scope today centers on capacity building and the continuous professional development of students and financial professionals through higher education and specialized training, as well as on the support of regulatory bodies in the design and implementation of certification systems. We currently offer over 79 open and custom programs, as well as specialized degrees, naturally focusing on the financial services sector. Building on our success in the last decade, we are looking at replicating this educational and development model across other sectors, and at expanding our scope to new areas of training and education. We have been forging a robust network of partnerships with international providers in this direction. Our ambitions are stretching far and wide, and we have only just begun.
Can you describe some of QFBA's major milestones over the last year?
2018 marked many milestones for QFBA, particularly toward its Qatarization vision, national partnership ambitions, and higher education accreditations. In July, our partnership with Northumbria University, which we signed in March 2018, culminated in the graduation of our first BA cohort in international banking and finance. Out of the total number of students admitted into the program—representing 15 nationalities—60% were Qatari nationals. Another partnership we successfully signed in 2018 is with the MoI, in collaboration with Cisco, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions. This is unchartered territory for QFBA and an exciting one at that. As the banking and finance landscape grows ever more complex and interconnected, cybersecurity awareness, education, and expertise are all the more paramount. And as our nation gears up for a cashless, fintech-powered FIFA World Cup 2022 experience, capacity building and knowledge development will be crucial to ensuring that Qatar's smart payment infrastructure for this global tournament, and far beyond it, abides by world-class safety and security standards. In line with the Qatar National Development Strategy 2018-2022, our tie-ups with ministries across Qatar bore fruit with a strategic and large-scale remit for QFBA, entailing the management and delivery of nationwide professional development initiatives. To this end, our focus has also been on high-quality Qatarization of the financial landscape.
How has QFBA grown and expanded its scope of activities and programs since its inception?
Much of our expansion and addition of new activities and business lines in the financial services sector were concentrated in 2018, particularly in professional training. In 2019, we joined hands with the Central Bank and National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee to launch a landmark, large-scale training program targeting all professionals in the public and private sector. We also extended the reach and scope of our degree offering to a much larger cohort of banking and finance students and professionals. We maintained the same number of programs, but admitted more students into our finance, investment, and banking programs. This academic year, we have admitted 193 students so far. Under our ambitious expansion is also our move to new, bigger, and better facilities that can accommodate our future plans and growing student base. By 1Q2020, we will be moving our facilities from the Qatar Financial Center Tower 2 to our own dedicated building in Msheireb.
KHALID MOHAMMED AL-HORR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, CEO, Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority
Given its successful performance in the last few years, QFC is optimistic it will be able to capitalize on Qatar's ongoing efforts to create a world-class business environment and attract more global companies.
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Lolwah R M Al-Khater, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is focused on pushing forward Qatar's foreign policy, sharing information and perspectives that could be useful for regional security and advancing the Qatari narratives on many issues facing the world today.
read articleInterview
Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President, Research, Development, and Innovation, Qatar Foundation
The first country in the world to track its citizens' genomes, Qatar is on track to make one of modern science's biggest breakthroughs by personalizing medical treatment and precision care.
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Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister, Transport and Communications (MoTC)
With plans for a fully electric bus system and an impressive set of interconnected transportation options including metro, rail, and tram, the Ministry of Transport and Communication is shifting mobility into the next gear in Qatar.
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Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor, Qatar Central Bank (QCB)
Encouraging local manufacturing, initiating self-sufficiency in dairy and farm products, expanding into new air and sea routes, offering select visa-free entry, and enacting fiscal reforms are but several of the successful reforms undertaken since 2017.
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Sean Kelly, Project Director, Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme is no ordinary mall: with 650 hotel rooms, a 6,000-sqm cinema with 18 screens, six slides, three toboggan runs, and an ice river opening in September 2020, it is looking to slide into Qatar's tourism infrastructure in time for the World Cup.
read articleInterview
Mehmed Zingal, General Manager, Turkish Airlines - Qatar
With its 30th year celebration of its Miles&Smiles club launch in Qatar, Turkish Airlines is acknowledging its continued diligence to provide the best customer service, with targets to increase customer happiness through innovative technologies and increasing tourism to Qatar for the future.
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Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President, Qatar University (QU)
Ranked in the top-500 universities by the Times Higher Education, Qatar University improves students' academic success by supporting students throughout their academic lifecycle, from the pre-university stage to beyond graduation.
read articleFocus
A lesson learned
The international attention set to fall on Qatar over the coming years is significant only to the extent that it generates advances in human capital required by Qatar's blueprint, National Vision 2020, where local know-how and innovation advance the nation and promote wellbeing.
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Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health & Managing Director,, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
The health minister is committed to continuing the growth of Qatar's healthcare system, with plans for more than 20 new facilities specializing in pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental health.
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