Bubiyan signs strategic partnership with CODED Academy

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the value offered by its PRIME account to young people, Boubyan Bank announced a strategic partnership with CODED Academy, the first specialized academy in artificial intelligence and programming in the Arab world, within the framework of the sixth edition of the Unicode program. This step reflects the evolution of the PRIME account’s role, which now provides, alongside banking solutions and benefits, unique opportunities to acquire digital and programming skills that enhance young people’s readiness for future demands.

The partnership was signed at the Kuwait Stock Exchange headquarters, in the presence of Boubyan Bank’s Managing Director Saleh Al-Mansour, CODED Academy’s Co-founder and CEO Ahmed Maaref, Kuwait Stock Exchange’s Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications Nasser Al-Sanousi, and Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) Managing Director for Banking and Investment Services Ahmed Al-Falah, along with a number of leaders and representatives from participating entities.

The partnership runs from August to December 2026, allowing PRIME account holders aged between 15 and 25 to join the Unicode program. This program includes intensive training tracks in programming and digital skills, aiming to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to keep pace with the demands of the digital economy and enhance their competitiveness in the job market.

The initiative is implemented in partnership with CODED Academy, with the Kuwait Stock Exchange and Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) participating as strategic partners. The Kuwait Stock Exchange hosts the training program and organizes several workshops at Boubyan Bank’s new headquarters, providing participants with an educational experience that combines academic learning with practical application, reflecting the commitment of all partners to prepare a generation better equipped for future challenges.

Commenting on the occasion, Al-Mansour expressed his delight at this strategic partnership with CODED Academy under the Unicode initiative, which represents the first of its kind between a bank and a specialized academy in programming and digital skills targeting young people. He emphasized that it aligns with Boubyan Bank’s vision of investing in the potential of youth and delivering value that transcends the traditional concept of youth banking accounts.

He added: “At Boubyan, we believe our role is no longer limited to developing banking products and solutions or providing a distinguished banking experience for young people. It extends to being partners in their journey toward building their future, through initiatives that open up opportunities for learning and acquiring the skills required by the digital economy, contributing to their academic and professional careers. Today, we measure our success by what we add to our clients’ futures, not just by the products and services we offer them.”

For his part, Ahmed Maaref, Co-founder and CEO of CODED Academy, stated: “We are living through a pivotal moment in the history of the job market. Artificial intelligence is no longer a discipline to be studied, but a reality reshaping every profession and sector, raising the bar for what is expected of every university graduate. Kuwaiti universities produce minds no less capable than any in the world, but the real challenge is no longer academic achievement; it is the gap between what is taught and what is practiced. This is why we created UniCODE, a program designed to be the final step in a university student’s journey and the first step in their professional career, enabling them to transform knowledge into production and theory into projects that speak for them before they do. At CODED, we do not treat our university students as trainees, but as a generation that will carry the future Kuwaiti economy on its shoulders. All we do is provide them with the tools and clear the path for them.”