Meethaq ‘Little Investor’ programme to train 10,000 more school students

The Little Investor programme demonstrates the importance of building a strong financial culture among Oman’s younger generation responsible for the country’s future development

MUSCAT: Following on the success of the ‘Little Investor’ financial literacy programme, Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, in step with the bank’s vision ‘To serve you better, everyday’ and commitment to promoting sustainable development, signed an agreement with Injaz Oman to extend the programme to reach 10,000 more school students across the Sultanate.

Targetting school students, the ‘Little Investor’ programme is aimed at developing a healthy savings habit as well as entrepreneurial skills from an early age. Sulaiman Al Harthy, Deputy Chief Executive Officer – Islamic Banking, and Khaula Al Harthy, Chief Executive officer of Injaz Oman, signed the agreement at the bank’s head office.

Sulaiman Al Harthy said: “Meethaq is proud to continue with the ‘Little Investor’ programme to reach a larger segment of students across the Sultanate. At a time when Islamic finance is consolidating its role in supporting economic and social development, Meethaq reckons sustainable social development as a great opportunity to complement the country’s progress and development. Meethaq remains committed to social responsibility initiatives contributing to sustainable development in Oman. We are grateful to the Ministry of Education and Injaz Oman for the support extended to the programme.”

Khaula Al Harthy said: “Injaz Oman is pleased to cooperate for the second year in a row with Meethaq Islamic Banking. The ‘Little Investor’ programme demonstrates the importance of building a strong financial culture among Oman’s younger generation responsible for the country’s future development.”

Launched in association with the Ministry of Education and Injaz Oman, the ‘Little Investor’ programme trained over 10,500 students across the Sultanate in the first year of the programme in 2018. The programme organised over 370 sessions covering over 130 schools, with the involvement of over 170 teachers and participation of over 140 volunteers.

The ‘Little Investor’ programme is a core component of the Imprints CSR initiative launched by the bank. The four pillars of the Imprints initiative include programmes to promote financial literacy, sustainable tourism, green environment and enriched lifestyle.

The Ministry of Education is represented in the ‘Little Investor’ programme by the National Centre for Vocational Guidance. Injaz Oman is a not-for-profit organisation focused on enhancing skills of youth for participation in the economy by bridging the gap between knowledge acquired through education and skills required for the job market. Injaz supports students to develop leadership, entrepreneurial skills, problem-solving, communication and soft skills through a series of workshops conducted by volunteers.

Meethaq is well positioned to provide Islamic financial expertise to diverse segments and thereby promote the good of society as a whole. Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry.