Manama - BNA
Al Salam Bank (ASBB) Chairperson and Executive Chief Officer of inJAz Bahrain Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al-Khalifa met today the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Fiona Woolf, currently on a visit to Bahrain. A group of pioneer businesswomen from the financial and legal sectors were present to discuss the vital role played by women in the financial sector and how to support organisations and associations in order for the Bahraini women to succeed at workplace.Shaikha Hessa welcomed Ms Woolf and praised her efforts to promote woman, commending her successful leadership career, becoming the second woman in history during 800 years to hold the role of Lord Mayor of London.Shaikha Hessa welcomed the attendees and provided a brief overview of ASBB as one of the leading banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain, highlighting its achievements, the outstanding financial status it enjoys and the process of the recent acquisition of BMI Bank and Bahraini Saudi Bank(BSB) as well as the projects funded by ASBB in the United Kingdom.Ms. Woolf, who was accompanied by the British Ambassador to Bahrain Iain Lindsay, expressed her delight to meet Shaikha Hessa, highlighting her leading role in the growth and development of this pivotal sector.She hailed Bahrain’s openness and hospitable culture, commending the leadership professionalism. She stressed the importance of the meeting, being an opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies to bridge the gap and discuss the possibility of a mutual cooperation.Shaikha Hessa and the businesswomen exchanged ideas and views with Ms. Woolf about the obstacles facing women at workplace, particularly in the financial sector.Initiatives and positions that empower women and enable her to reach executive positions were discussed, as well as educating businesswomen in UK about Islamic Banking.As an initiative to strengthen bilateral relations in banking and financial sectors, Ms. Woolf invited Shaikha Hessa and the Bahraini delegation to visit the UK and meet British businesswomen in order to be informed on the developments in the financial sector.