Solidarity looks to future success

One of the key factors contributing to this expansion is the continual developments in HR capabilities.

Having developed a strong presence in both their native Bahrain and Qatar, Solidarity - Family Takaful is keen to expand into the emerging markets of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) regions, as well as the United Kingdom. This rapid expansion is caused by the increasing demand for Islamic Financial Planning and driven by the highly qualified team working behind this goal.

"Takaful is one of the fastest growing insurance vehicles in the world, with a predicted 15 -20% growth estimate per annum. Its popularity is directly related to its dependence on the values of fairness which is based on the guiding principles of Islamic Sharia'h law, coupled with attractive financial returns for all involved parties. Therefore, it requires continual HR developments to achieve a positive outcome which adds an embedded value to the industry and to Solidarity in particular." said Rob King, General Manager, Solidarity - Family Takaful.

Strategic and Business planning is paramount in entering new markets, it ensures that the products offered are tailored to the highest standards of consumer expectation, and can be distributed through accredited channels. In order to meet the demand of this growing Takaful industry, Solidarity introduced a "Graduate Management Trainee" program in 2004 to enhance the quality of its staff.

Ali Al Marzooq has recently completed the 12 months internal program that was also supported by a number of specific courses run by the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance, and was appointed assistant manager of Strategic and Business Planning.

"Ali has proven to be a very dedicated and committed employee and has worked extremely hard to achieve the required standards we set for this program. Mr. Al Marzooq has been rewarded, by his appointment as Assistant manager to the Head of the Strategic and Business Planning department" said King

"Through extensive market assessment and opportunity identifications, we are confident that the Bahraini human assets are ready to share in the development of well structured and consumer friendly, ethical insurance solutions which are compliant with Islamic Sharia'h law." said Hassan Murady, Head of Administration and Human Recourses.

"As the world warms to this sound Takaful (Islamic insurance) vessel, there is going to be a continuing need to accommodate the diverse individual needs of clients by continually developing our HR capabilities to provide a comprehensive range of affordable Sharia'h compliant saving, investment and protection plans and to generate a satisfactory rate of return for shareholders and participants alike," added Murady.