Areije Al Shakar

Company: Bahrain Development Bank

Title: Vice President

Areije AI Shakar is Vice President, Deputy Head of Development Services at Bahrain Development Bank (BOB). After over 6 years at BDB. her role and involvement at the bank includes training. coaching. business guidance. and business development. She is the Co-Founder of the Rowad Program. a holistic entrepreneur support platform focused on creating a regional entrepreneurship eco-system through its partners and network. Areije helped set up Bahrain's first home grown accelerator SeedFuei-Rowad. a program that is managed and run out of BOB.

Areije works closely with entrepreneurs on a daily basis. coaching and mentoring them at variousstagesof the entrepreneurship business cycle beginning with start-upthrough to growth. expansion. and even turnaround management. Her role also involves the development of programs. products. and services to support entrepreneurship in the country which include the establishment of incubators. clusters. and other associated initiatives. Areije's work also involves close interaction with network organizations with the aim of building awareness and fostering an entrepreneurial culture. She is Editor in Chief of Rowad Magazine and represents BOB on the board of Rukn.me and Tenmou.

Areije AI Shakar has over 12 years of experience in banking and advisory. She has worked in reputable organizations such as BNP Paribas and Lehman Brothers on the Investment Management and Advisory side.She holds a Master's of Science in Public Policy and Management. from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). University of London and is a Certified Business Coach and Mentor. from the Chartered Management Institute. UK.