Bank Muscat celebrates graduation of ‘Jesr Al Mustaqbal’ beneficiaries

The ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ (Bridge to Future) higher education scholarships are given to Omani youth belonging to social welfare families

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to partnership in social responsibility, celebrated the graduation of a group of students who successfully completed undergraduate and diploma programmes on Jesr Al Mustaqbal scholarships provided by the bank in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education.

The management team members and senior officials attended the ceremony held at the bank’s head office from the Ministry of Higher Education.

The ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ (Bridge to Future) higher education scholarships are given to Omani youth belonging to social welfare families. The bank’s gesture complements the government efforts in providing students valuable opportunities to pursue various educational programmes to gain employable skills and achieve success in life and career.

Ahmed Faqir Al Balushi, deputy general manager – Human Resources, said: “Coinciding with the 35th anniversary, Bank Muscat is proud to celebrate the graduation of ‘Jesr Al Mustaqbal’ students. The scholarship programme is a commitment by the bank to support Omani youth with opportunities to build a strong foundation for a better future. Bank Muscat is committed to contributing towards sustainable development by working closely with local communities with the aim of improving living standards in a manner that complements the national economy. The bank will continue to support Omani youth as part of the annual CSR programme.”

Abeer Al Balushi who spoke on behalf of the graduating batch said: “We are very happy to complete our bachelor degree programme with Jesr Al Mustaqbal scholarship, which will help us secure a bright future. We are grateful to Bank Muscat for this rare opportunity to obtain relevant educational qualifications essential for career advancement. We thank Bank Muscat for this opportunity to lay a strong foundation for our lives. We look forward to contributing to the development of the nation.”

Bank Muscat launched ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ in 2012 in the execution of the directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to provide relevant educational and training opportunities for Omani youth to develop employable skills. The comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the bank is targeted at young Omanis - both male and female from social welfare families who have not been able to complete their education for various reasons. Till date, a total of 199 students have ben- efited from the Jesr Al Mustaqbal scholarships covering diploma, vocational and bachelor degree programmes.

During the early phase, the programme provided sponsorships for academic training leading to diplomas or vocational training with guaranteed job placement. The programme was further developed in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education to include sponsorship opportunities for students to complete bachelor degree programmes.

Students selected for the programme are systematically evaluated to ensure their steady progress. The partnership with the government has proved successful and the programme has gone from strength to strength with students successfully completing bachelor degrees programmes from local colleges and universities.

The social impact of ‘ Jesr Al Mustaqbal’ programme is immense as beneficiary students belong to large families, where the level of educational qualifications is low. ‘Jesr Al Mustaqbal’ beneficiaries serve as great influencers on families and community, motivating the future generation to aspire and achieve relevant educational qualifications for a better quality of life.