The Institute of Banking Studies Kuwait (KIBS) and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) are proud to announce the successful completion of the Risk Management Leaders Programme held in London. This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant milestone in enhancing the capabilities of banking and financial professionals, in line with Kuwait Vision 2035.

The programme, designed to provide comprehensive training on the multifaceted risk environment, included an interactive series of sessions focusing on post-pandemic risks, cyber and digital threats, geopolitical challenges, ESG, and climate-related risks. Over a two-week period, participants engaged in trainer-led workshops, role play, case studies, guest speaker sessions, and site visits, including notable visits to Moody’s and Starling Bank.

Eng. Rana AlNibarai, Director General at the Institute of Banking Studies Kuwait, commented, “This programme represents a pivotal step towards realising Kuwait Vision 2035 by investing in our human capital and fostering a culture of excellence in risk management. Our collaboration with LIBF has empowered our professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern financial landscape.”

Ehsan Razavizadeh, Managing Director of MENA and Asia at LIBF, added, “We are delighted to partner with IBS Kuwait in delivering this essential training programme. By equipping participants with practical skills and insights, we are helping to cultivate a new generation of agile leaders who can drive innovation and maintain stability in the banking and financial sectors.”

A highlight of the programme was the visit to Moody’s, to learn more about how they enable individuals and organisations to decode complexity and unlock opportunities through their extensive data capabilities, tools and technologies which span credit ratings research and insights, information services and decision solutions. 

The programme also featured a visit to Starling Bank, where participants delved into the Starling story, gaining an overview of Engine, the technology underpinning Starling’s operations. They also witnessed demonstrations of key processes such as onboarding and explored how Starling manages risk through these processes.

Kuwait Vision 2035 places a strong emphasis on improving education institutions as part of its commitment to human capital development. By raising educational standards and fostering creativity and research, Kuwait aims to nurture a highly skilled workforce capable of driving national progress. The Risk Management Leaders Programme aligns perfectly with this vision, ensuring that Kuwaiti professionals are well-prepared to tackle future challenges and opportunities in the financial sector.

Risk management has become increasingly critical in recent years, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Risk Management Leaders Programme equips participants with the practical skills needed to evaluate and enhance risk management approaches, thereby fostering a more intuitive and perceptive leadership style.

IDeaS announced that it has reached the milestone of nearly 2,000 properties live on the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP). This integration seamlessly connects RMS solutions, including IDeaS G3 RMS, with Oracle’s OPERA Cloud platform, accessible through both OHIP and the Oracle Cloud Marketplace – a centralized hub for enterprise applications.

Building upon their 25-year legacy of hospitality innovation, IDeaS and Oracle are nearing a milestone of 10,000 shared clients. IDeaS G3 RMS, a system that delivers scientific pricing decisions at the room type and rate code level to drive optimal revenue performance, seamlessly connects with OPERA Cloud via OHIP. This empowers faster implementations without requiring Oracle’s intervention, ensuring efficient and scalable integration for their extensive network of hoteliers.

Connected hotels have expressed excitement about the increased efficiency, ease of integration, and a faster interface. IDeaS is currently connecting 50 to 100 hotels per week, providing the advantage of enabling future capabilities and additional IDeaS solutions more quickly.

Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Oracle customers seeking trusted business applications offering unique business solutions, including ones that extend Oracle Cloud Applications. Oracle Cloud is an enterprise cloud that delivers massive, non-variable performance and next-generation security across a comprehensive portfolio of services, including SaaS, application development, application hosting, and business analytics. Customers get access to leading compute, storage, data management, security, integration, HPC, artificial intelligence (AI), and Blockchain services to augment and modernize their critical workloads. Oracle Cloud runs Oracle Autonomous Database, the industry’s first and only self-driving database.

industry has long craved faster data exchanges and more capabilities to handle ever-increasing Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist and development officer, IDeaS, said: “The hospitality data volumes, and OHIP delivers precisely that. By accelerating data exchange and efficiently transmitting the staggering 12 billion pricing decisions IDeaS processes daily, OHIP empowers us to innovate faster as partners with Oracle. This goes beyond pricing and forecasting – it unlocks the true potential of data-driven revenue management, allowing hoteliers to make smarter decisions and achieve optimal results.”

Laura Calin, vice president of Hospitality Strategy and Solutions Management, Oracle, said: “Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a treasure trove of some of the best hospitality software and services available on the market today. Our partner IDeaS Revenue Solutions can now take advantage of our self-service integration platform, allowing them to scale deployments and significantly simplify the support model of their interface.”

Al Ghandi Auto proudly introduces DALIA, an innovative AI chatbot powered by Seezar on its websites. This cutting-edge technology, developed by Seez utilizing OpenAI’s GPT, marks a significant milestone as Al Ghandi Auto pioneers the integration of advanced AI capabilities to transform its customer service operations.

With its advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities and machine learning algorithms, DALIA was designed with user-centricity at its core, offers 24/7 support, providing customers with instant access to product features, specifications, competitor comparisons, after-sales information, and dealership locations. With its advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities and machine learning algorithms, (can be removed as it repeats the first line of this para) DALIA is a chatbot that will deliver a conversational and intuitive user experience, improving the car buying process, service follow ups and overall contribute to customer satisfaction.

“Al Ghandi Auto strives to be at the forefront of innovation in the automotive industry,” said Marc Jenkins, CEO at Al Ghandi Auto. “The introduction of DALIA underscores our commitment to innovation while providing our customers with the best possible service and support experience. We are excited to lead the way in enhancing the online experience and demonstrate our dedication to continuous improvement and customer care.”

DALIA’s seamless integration with Al Ghandi Auto’s backend systems ensures real-time accuracy and responsiveness. It is built to scale, able to handle a high volume of inquiries without compromising performance. Dalia will be available to customers through multiple platforms, and will provide customers with a consistent experience across all devices, Doing so while it maintains the highest levels of security and data privacy protocols.

Looking ahead, Al Ghandi Auto plans to further leverage AI & Generative Ai technology to enhance customer engagement and support, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to innovation and meeting the evolving needs of its clientele.

Al Ghandi Auto invites everyone to visit their websites and chat with Dalia firsthand. Discover the ease and convenience of obtaining essential information and support through this state-of-the-art technology.