Bubiyan is a strategic partner for CODED

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 evolving role of the PRIME account, 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, attended by Saleh Al-Mansour, Managing Director of Boubyan; Ahmed Maaref, Co-founder and CEO of CODED Academy; Nasser Al-Sanousi, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at the Kuwait Stock Exchange; Ahmed Al-Fahad, Managing Director of Banking and Investment Services at Kuwait Financial Centre (KFMC); along with several leaders and representatives of participating entities.

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

The initiative is implemented in partnership with CODED Academy, with participation from the Kuwait Stock Exchange and KFMC as strategic partners. The Kuwait Stock Exchange hosts the training program, while a number of workshops are organized at Boubyan’s new headquarters.

Commenting on the occasion, Al-Mansour expressed his delight over the strategic partnership with CODED under the Unicode initiative, noting that it is 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’s vision of investing in the potential of youth and delivering value that goes beyond 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 horizons 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 customers’ futures, not just by the products and services we offer them.”

He clarified that this vision is gaining increasing importance amid the rapid transformations the world is witnessing due to technology and artificial intelligence, which are reshaping the nature of jobs and required skills. This makes investing in building the digital capabilities of young people and empowering them a genuine necessity. This realization prompted the bank to enhance the value offered by the PRIME account, extending its role from meeting banking needs to contributing to preparing young people to acquire the skills required by the future economy.

Al-Mansour pointed out that the choice of CODED Academy was driven by its leading position in preparing and qualifying young people in the fields of programming and digital skills, making it an ideal partner to achieve the objectives of this initiative and empower PRIME customers to master the tools of the digital economy and enhance their readiness to compete in the job market.

For his part, Ma’arfi said, “We are living today at a pivotal moment in the history of the labor market. Artificial intelligence is no longer a subject taught in classrooms, but a reality reshaping every profession and sector, and with it, the expectations placed on every university graduate have risen. Kuwaiti universities produce minds that are no less capable than any in the world, but the real challenge is no longer academic achievement; rather, it lies in the gap between what is taught and what is practiced.”

He added, “This is why we created UniCODE, a program designed to be the final step in a student’s academic journey and the first step in their professional career. It enables graduates to transform their knowledge into tangible output and their theories into projects that speak for them before they even do. At Code, we do not treat our university students merely as trainees, but as a generation that will carry the future Kuwaiti economy on its shoulders. All we do is equip them with the right tools and clear the path for them.”