As part of the broader AI@NBB initiative, the bank recently delivered the AI Enablement Programme under a strategic MoU with Reboot Coding Institute. The programme gave colleagues hands-on exposure to the complete software development lifecycle using modern AI tools.
The partnership supports the ongoing AI and digital upskilling across NBB by building capabilities and encouraging employee-led innovation.
The three-day programme goes beyond traditional AI awareness and training initiatives to allow business users and AI Champions to move from problem definition to ideation, development, and deployment of applications relevant to NBB’s market needs and operational environment.
Through AI-assisted practical exercises, participants gained a deeper understanding of the technical, design and governance considerations involved in creating viable solutions, equipping them to serve as AI enablers within their departments.
Each session was designed as a focused environment where teams could collaboratively develop solutions around genuine organisational requirements.
Commenting on the occasion, NBB group chief human resources officer Hend Mahmood said: “As the nature of work continues to evolve, our responsibility is to ensure our people can evolve with it. Investing in AI skills is therefore central to how we prepare the organisation for the future. We want colleagues across the business to enrich their professional judgement with new technical confidence, thereby enabling them to enhance performance by responsibly applying novel capabilities.”
Ali Ghuloom, group head of technology and enterprise architecture at NBB, who leads the bank’s AI agenda, added: “Scaling AI requires capacity-building beyond the core team. Colleagues closest to a business challenge are invaluable in clarifying priorities and judging whether a proposed solution will work in practice. By giving them a more active role in building and prototyping solutions, we are bringing innovation closer to the people who understand the business challenges best and creating a stronger bridge between actual requirements and technical delivery.”
Reflecting on the programme, Reboot Coding Institute managing director Yanal Jallad remarked: “For non-technical professionals, one of the most valuable outcomes is understanding how decisions across product design, software architecture, data, security, and testing affect the final application. Taking them through the entire development cycle within a guided challenge makes those connections tangible and gives them a shared language for collaborating with engineering and product teams.”
The programme is a key component of NBB’s dedicated AI Talent Strategy encompassing structured workforce learning, targeted development for AI champions, a central AI team, cross-functional AI squads, and leadership enablement. Together, these elements are intended to foster scalable expertise across the Group and enable business functions to participate directly in its transformation.
The AI enablement programme represents NBB’s wider investments in the people behind its AI agenda. The bank is developing departmental enablers who can identify operational opportunities, create informed proofs of concept, and work with technical teams to advance suitable ideas. Through AI@NBB, the group is putting intelligence to work by placing practical capability in the hands of its people.
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