Bahrain Bourse (BHB), a licensed exchange by the Central Bank of Bahrain, recently participated as a Corporate Partner in the Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) Sustainability Hackathon in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Environment, powered by INJAZ Bahrain. This transformative initiative aims to empower the next generation of innovators while advancing Bahrain’s national sustainability agenda, including the Kingdom’s pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 and its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The hackathon brought together over 100 students from nine leading universities across the Kingdom. Participants were tasked with addressing real-world sustainability challenges presented by the hackathon partners. These challenges focused on critical themes such as reducing environmental impact and carbon emissions, promoting sustainable finance and green investments, enhancing transparency and governance, and utilizing technology to drive sustainability.
The hackathon was concluded during the final ceremony attended by H.E. Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, the Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, alongside Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse, Ms. Fatema AlAlawi, Acting CEO of BisB, Mrs. Hana Sarwani, CEO of INJAZ Bahrain, and senior representatives from the hackathon partners.
Representing Bahrain Bourse, Marwa Al Maskati, Senior Director of Partnership Development, Sustainability & Communications, introduced two key challenges. The first called for participants to propose a concept that helps investors access reliable educational content on the securities market, while the second focused on proposing a strategy to detect and flag misleading investment claims on social media. These challenges were carefully selected to highlight the critical role of investor education and maintaining the integrity of financial markets, both of which are central to Bahrain Bourse’s commitment to transparency and informed decision-making.
Participants presented their solutions to a distinguished panel of judges representing Corporate Partners, with the top teams recognized for their innovative solutions and overall contribution to advancing Bahrain’s sustainability goals. Bahrain Bourse participated as a member of the judging panel to evaluate the projects presented, ensuring alignment with Bahrain Bourse’s broader objectives of enhancing investor knowledge and promoting the integrity of financial communications.
Commenting on Bahrain Bourse’s partnership, Marwa Al Maskati, Senior Director of Partnership Development, Sustainability & Communications, stated: “Our participation in this hackathon underscores Bahrain Bourse’s unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable practices and fostering innovation in the financial sector. By engaging students in real-world challenges, we are not only helping to build the next generation of financial leaders but also reinforcing the importance of sustainability, transparency, and education in our markets. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), INJAZ Bahrain, and all key partners for their vital contributions in organizing this event and making it a success. Such initiatives are essential for driving our collective efforts toward Bahrain’s long-term sustainability goals, and we look forward to continued collaboration on impactful projects.”
“As part of our ESG framework, Social & Community Impact is a key pillar of our action plan, through enhancing financial awareness and engaging with the community to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes,” added AlMaskati.