H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Elkuwaiz, Chairman of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Financial Academy (FA), inaugurated the third Financial Academy Forum (FAF 2024). The event, held under the slogan of “Sustainable Talent Growth,” was attended by a selection of local and international finance industry decision makers and experts.

The third edition, which took place Wednesday October 9, 2024 at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), attracted a broad audience of industry practitioners and stakeholders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over 3,000 men and women participated in the event, recording unprecedented level of attendance compared to the forum’s previous editions.

FAF 2024 included four panel discussions that covered numerous themes, most prominently Fostering Institutional Excellence Through Training and Development (T&D) Best Practices in Modern Era, Thriving through Rapid Changes: Building a Culture of Continuous Learning, AI as a Tool for Boosting Productivity in Modern Workplaces, the Role of Training & Development and Talent Development in Navigating Sustainability. The event also featured workshops that addressed various topics such as AI Integration into Training and Talent Development, Improving Learning Experience by Measuring Training Effectiveness, and Achieving Institutional Sustainability by Integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into Talent Development Practices.

Meanwhile, the Financial Academy launched, at the sidelines of the forum, a series of initiatives with global centers of excellence, as part of its drive to develop and improve the capabilities of the financial sector’s human capital. Among these is an initiative with the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute to increase the number of CFA holders in Saudi market. Additionally, the FA announced that it has become the first professional center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), in addition to being named a global training partner of University of Columbia’s Berkeley Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET).

Moreover, another partnership between the FA and the Swiss Re Institute for Executive Education to qualify 150 leaders from insurance sector was revealed during the forum. The event also marked the announcement of an alliance between the Academy, Al-Tamayyuz Academy, New York University (NYU), Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) Paris and CFA Institute to launch the 21st Century CFO Leadership Program, which is designed to equip current and aspiring Chief Financial Officers with the critical skills, knowledge, and leadership capabilities required to excel in today’s dynamic financial landscape. The initiative aims to qualify 60 CEOs in first year.

The Financial Academy Forum (FAF) is as an annual, vibrant platform for finance industry decision makers. It targets senior government officials, heads of authorities and institutions, CEOs, as well as distinguished researchers, academics, experts and professionals in finance and investment areas. They gather to explore new methods and techniques for improving the financial sector human capital’s capabilities and skills in alignment with the sector’s future needs.