Bahrain Bourse (BHB), a self-regulated multi-asset marketplace, in partnership with INJAZ Bahrain, has officially announced the kick-off of the 5^th Edition of the Smart Investor Program, a national awareness program aimed at 4^th grade elementary students in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is part of the Government Schools curriculum.

The program is one of Bahrain Bourse’s key financial literacy and investor awareness programs and initiatives, with the aim of educating and empowering the next generation of smart investors. It is consistent with Bahrain Bourse’s efforts to strengthen investment awareness and financial literacy across various age groups and categories.

Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse commented, “Bahrain Bourse is committed towards enhancing financial literacy awareness targeting various age groups. We believe in building a generation of investors with sound understanding of financial markets to empower the next generation of smart investors, through the roll out of the Smart Investor program in its 5^th Edition targeting 8,000 students from public and private schools.”

“This program is also uniquely positioned to complement our other program offerings and initiatives, including TradeQuest Program, the Investment Academy, and the Capital Markets Apprenticeship Program and is well integrated with Bahrain Bourse’s financial literacy and investor awareness strategy, which forms a fundamental pillar,” Shaikh Khalifa added.

H.H Sh. Hessa Bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairperson at INJAZ Bahrain, commented, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Bahrain Bourse for the 5th Edition of the Smart Investor Program. Based on our prior achievements and uptake level with this program offering, we have expanded the outreach to include more than 8000 participants. Our objective is to have young students apply financial fundamentals with confidence throughout their lives and we are honored to be able to contribute to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s financial inclusion framework and economic landscape.”

The Smart Investor program, which was launched in 2018, is a national awareness initiative for elementary students in partnership with INJAZ Bahrain. Through engaging edutainment activities, the program seeks to provide young students with basic concepts linked to money management, savings, and financial planning in order to aid them in making sound financial decisions.

After participation in the program, students will be able to identify various financial payment methods, such as debit and credit cards, cash, and cheques, learn numerous financial literacy terms, as well as recognize the value of saving and gain information on several financial planning principles. The Program consists of seven-themed sessions designed to equip students with the following concepts: Thinking, Specifying, Planning, Execution, Saving, Progression, and Evaluation.

Bahrain Bourse offers a board range of awareness programs to ensure outreach to every age group, which begins with Smart Investor at elementary level, and TradeQuest at high school and university level. General financial education is also offered to the public through the Investment Academy in collaboration with the BIBF. In addition, the Capital Markets Apprenticeship Program is offered to graduates through on-the-job training and practical experience within the capital markets. Bahrain Bourse has been consistently participating in IOSCO’s World Investor Week along with 78 other global exchanges and World Federation of Exchanges’ annual ‘Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy’ to promote financial literacy.

It is worth mentioning that the Smart Investor Program has been carried out for 4 consecutive academic years. The 4^th edition of the program introduced the Smart Investor National Challenge with the aim of seeking to enhance program participation in both public and private schools. The competition has successfully stimulated engagement and a competitive spirit, and encouraged students to implement their program learnings.