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ShareKUWAIT: In recognition of their pivotal role in helping Bankee succeed and achieve its goals of enhancing the financial literacy of students at a young age, the National Bank of Kuwait organized a ceremony to honor the schools that participated in the program for the current academic year 2024-2025. At the forefront of attendees was Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaei, Minister of Education; Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim, President of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority “Nazaha”; Abrar Al-Hammad, Assistant Secretary General for the Prevention Sector at “Nazaha”; Isam Al-Sager, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of NBK; Shaikha Al-Bahar, Deputy Group CEO of NBK; Salah Al-Fulaij, CEO-Kuwait; Sulaiman Al-Marzouq, Deputy CEO-Kuwait and the bank’s executive management.
In his speech, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of NBK, Isam Al-Sager said: “We are pleased to have you here on this special day in which we honor a distinguished group of public and private schools in Kuwait that effectively took part in the success of Bankee program during the academic year 2024-2025, which is Kuwait’s largest national program aiming to enhance the financial literacy.” Al-Sager highlighted that the Bankee program, which is the culmination of a unique strategic partnership between NBK, the Ministry of Education, Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority “Nazaha”, with a contribution by the distinctive national institution Creative Confidence in the process of execution, played a pivotal role in raising the financial awareness of elementary school students and instilling in them foundational economic and financial concepts.
Al-Sager also emphasized that the program contributed to implanting in the students’ minds significant social and ethical values, such as honesty, responsibility, commitment, preserving public money, and respecting the law, which positively influenced the students and their families, and subsequently society overall. Moreover, Al-Sager added: “This success would not have been possible without the cooperation of the administrations and faculties of the participating schools, as they are the influencers and change makers.
They have truly taken the initiative and made relentless efforts to help achieve the goals of the program over three academic years, which was evident to us during our recent recurrent visits to several participating schools. For this, we express our deep gratitude.” In the end of his speech, Al-Sager expressed his extreme appreciation for NBK’s strategic partners who had faith in Bankee and made remarkable efforts to make it succeed, thanking the Minister of Education, Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaei, and the President of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority “Nazaha”, Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim for their continuous support.
On his part, Jalal Al-Tabtabaei, Minister of Education, mentioned in his speech that this aspiring national program is the product of distinctive efforts and a valuable collaboration between national institutions that believe in the importance of building people and enhancing their abilities. He also indicated that this program is a true reflection of government-private partnerships, further emphasizing that the Ministry of Education views this partnership as one of the foundations of educational and sustainable developments.
Al-Tabtabaei also mentioned that the partnership between Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority, the Ministry of Education, and NBK is a remarkable embodiment of institutional collaboration with the private sector to support national educational values, which has played a highly influential role in enhancing the students’ financial literacy through a comprehensive educational program. In addition, Al-Tabtabaei thanked all the participating schools and encouraged all school administrations to take part in this program and benefit from the unique educational opportunity it offers, as it affects the students’ personalities and their future in a positive way.
In addition, President of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority “Nazaha”, Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim, said: “I am pleased to be here in this occasion that reflects the true meaning of enlightened government-private partnerships, which aim to instill values such as integrity, transparency, and anti-corruption efforts. He mentioned that protecting the youth against corruption risks is the nation’s first line of defense that should help build an honest society committed to promoting transparency, justice, equality, and law enforcement.
Al-Ibrahim also emphasized that the strategic partnership between “Nazaha”, the Ministry of Education, and NBK that produced the Bankee program is a unique model of collaboration that joined the government’s determination with the private sector’s experiences and resources. In addition, he expressed his deep pride in this remarkable partnership that will pave the way for future strategic partnerships. Moreover, Al-Ibrahim stated: “What makes us even more proud of the program’s achievements is the praise we receive from participants in local, regional, and international conferences in which the authority attends and shares the Bankee experiment.
Showcasing achievements
During the ceremony, some of the most significant achievements of Bankee over the last three academic years were highlighted along with their positive impact upon the life of students and their families. Moreover, some of the participating teachers shared their experience and big role in guiding the students and helping them set their financial goals, supervising their progress, and providing the necessary support to maximize the benefits of the program. Bankee is a pioneering program in Kuwait, which aims to enhance financial inclusion, especially among school students, to ensure better and sustainable future levels of financial literacy in society.
It also aims to teach students’ core economic concepts and behaviors such as earning, spending, saving, and financial commitments in a fun and interactive way, by using the classroom economy model. The program also aims to instill core values such as honesty, integrity, self-development and growth, responsibility, cooperation, and teamwork, as well as raise a young generation that understands the importance of financial independence and stability and has the necessary financial knowledge and skills to achieve sustainable development and economic well-being for individuals and society.
Bankee is a digital platform that serves as a virtual bank, on which students receive their allowance, salaries, bonuses, and pay their fines and expenses through a virtual bank account. The account also serves as a platform for students to play their financial commitments such as paying rent and water and electricity bills and purchasing from the Bankee store in a way that simulates real financial transactions. NBK’s Initiative of Bankee highlights its support to Kuwait Vision 2035 by enabling the youth and upskilling them. It also emphasizes the bank’s commitment to supporting and developing the educational system as part of its social responsibility, as well as committing to its bigger goal of achieving financial inclusion for all society’s segments.
32,235 students, 7,200 teachers
The number of schools participating in the Bankee program during the current academic year reached 61 schools, with the participation of 32,235 students and 7,200 teachers. The number of Bankee student employees who gained their first work experience exceeded 1,500, and more than 1.5 million transactions were recorded varying from bonuses, salaries, jobs, and Bankee store purchases.
