Muscat: Encouraging a culture of savings among the youth, National Bank of Oman (NBO) held the latest edition of its Al Kanz Youth draw, which saw a total of 105 young customers win OMR 100 each. Held in a coffee shop, the bank also raised awareness about how young people can get the most out of banking. The event is part of a series of youth-centred initiatives that demonstrate NBO’s long-standing commitment to this segment, which represents more than 50% of Oman’s population.

“These kind of fun, informal events help in establishing a culture of financial awareness and responsibility amongst the young generation, and highlight all the ways we as a bank work to empower young people” said Ismail Al Balushi, Acting Head of Segments at NBO. “NBO invests heavily in the youth as we believe in their power to shape the future. Our role does not stop at offering innovative banking solutions that fit their unique financial and lifestyle needs, but extends through our values as a community-focused organisation.”

In addition to training and internship programmes, the bank runs a variety of initiatives that engage young people, including providing them opportunities to take on real-life paid tasks such as photography and designing. Other endeavors include the ‘Innovation in SME’ Award, which rewards entrepreneurship among the youth, and the NBO Hackathon, which fosters big technological ideas from young developers and designers with the potential for future implementation.