Equal Opportunity in the Workplace

SICO continues to champion gender equality and female empowerment as a core value. Since 2014, the Bank has been led by Najla Al-Shirawi, Bahrain’s first female CEO of a financial institution.

In 2024, women held 30% of managerial positions, and 44% of the total workforce is female, with nine women in leadership roles. SICO also boasts the highest female representation on its board in Bahrain, with 44% of its board members being female.

Women lead several core business lines, including Brokerage — headed by Bahrain’s only female Chief Broker, whose team is 60% female — and Market Making, which is run by an all-female team.

SICO’s Equal Opportunity Committee, established in 2017, remains active in promoting gender inclusion and reviewing employment policies to ensure fairness in recruitment, promotions, and performance management. The Bank also signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2024, aligning its efforts with global standards and national initiatives such as the Supreme Council for Women.

In 2024, SICO continued its involvement in the “Support and Accelerate Women’s Inclusion” (SAWI) initiative in partnership with Warsha Consultancy and the American University in Beirut. The Bank enhanced its policies regarding performance tracking, flexible work arrangements, and employee well-being, and introduced a new tool to monitor the effectiveness of inclusive policies.

Trainings

SICO continues to prioritize internal development through targeted training programs in key areas, including banking, leadership, risk management, anti-money laundering, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. The Bank partners with global and regional institutions, such as BIBF, Bloomberg, and Thomson Reuters Compliance Learning, to deliver high-impact learning opportunities.

• A business ethics training course was introduced, with 62% of employees completing it by the end of the year
• All management members completed Diversity & Inclusion training.
• Mental health sessions were introduced to enhance resilience and workplace well-being.

SICO employees also participate in the Qodwa Mentorship Programme, in collaboration with the CFA Society Bahrain, which supports professional development and academic growth through experienced mentor-mentee pairings.

Benefits

SICO strives to be an employer of choice in Bahrain by offering benefits that go beyond regulatory requirements. Highlights include:

• Paid maternity leave plus 120 days of remote work and 60 days of fully paid additional leave for new mothers
• Five days of paternity leave for male employees
• A flexible Work-From-Home (WFH) policy, allowing remote work up to 50% of the time. In 2024, 1,215 WFH days were recorded, with 73% of WFH hours in Bahrain granted to women
• Parental and children’s vaccination leave
• Wellness rooms for new mothers and prayer or rest
• Health club allowance, study allowance for children, and life and family medical insurance
• Female Spouse Medical Insurance, introduced in 2022, remains in effect

SICO’s Employee Savings Scheme (ESS) enables staff to invest a portion of their salary with matched contributions from the Bank, offering investment options tailored to personal risk appetite and managed by SICO’s Global Markets team.

Workplace Environment and Culture

SICO’s offices at the Bahrain World Trade Center are designed with a focus on well-being and collaboration. Shared dining areas, prayer rooms, quiet spaces, and phone booths promote balance, focus, and connection.

SICO maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination, harassment, or forced labour, and proudly reported zero incidents in 2024.

The Bank’s Grievance Policy and open-door HR approach promote transparency, fairness, and psychological safety.

Client Relationships

The team of dedicated and experienced professionals that make up SICO’s Client Relations department works to oversee requests, respond to inquiries, and provide guidance to both existing and potential clients. The department also prioritizes customer experience by making gradual and measurable changes. The primary purpose of the department is to build sustainable, long-term, and professional relationships with the Bank’s customers. Client Relations has a wide and varied scope of activities, including managing and advocating for clients’ needs across the Bank’s different business lines; onboarding new accounts; and completing and updating all client Know KYC details to ensure full compliance with Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) regulations. In the future, SICO’s Client Relations department will continue to automate and empower clients to execute transactions digitally.