Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, welcomed the second batch of candidates for “The Pioneers” Leadership Development Program, which aims to enhance the capabilities of the company’s future leaders. Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer, Captain Waleed Al Alawi received the candidates, who currently hold managerial roles across eight divisions.
This program is part of Gulf Air’s leadership succession planning which the airline embarked on with Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) in July 2022. The program focuses on training the national carrier’s highest caliber from different divisions of the company to prep them for succession of leading positions. The main goal of this program is to contribute to the national economy and train some of the Bahraini talents in the Kingdom.
Following a welcome speech highlighting the program’s importance and objectives, candidates were given the chance to introduce their professional backgrounds and key contributions to Gulf Air, and to explain why they believe the program is crucial to the airline’s continued success.
Mr. Al Alawi said: “We are delighted to welcome the second batch of candidates into this program, which plays a critical role in developing the airline’s future leaders. This year, 22 candidates have enrolled, up from 20 in 2022. This demonstrates the steady growth of the program, and the determination from our end to continue investing in our greatest asset: our talented staff. I wish all our talented candidates the best of luck with the program, which, through a series of workshops, inspirational sessions, trending market topics, and interactive training, empowers them to become more resilient and adaptable leaders. It is important to mention that our first batch, who graduated from this program in January 2023, are now part of our talented pool of individuals who are being groomed to step into bigger shoes when the time comes.”
Gulf Air ranks among Bahrain’s highest employers of citizens and has a clear career path that allows experienced local talent to advance to well-deserved leadership positions, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.