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Nationalisation: Creating a Legacy of Regulators for Qatar
Qatar’s National Vision 2030 envisions the country’s path to becoming a knowledge-based society with substantial business sectors in areas other than fossil fuels. The finance sector is a key area of focus for Qatar, with the State’s regulators playing an important role in the
industry’s development.
In 2014, the Regulatory Authority established a dedicated Nationalisation department, and in 2015, created and launched an ambitious programme. Designed to develop and train Qatari graduates who demonstrate an ability to meet the Regulatory Authority’s need for qualified subject matter experts and leaders, the programme recruits individuals who are interested in careers in the core business areas of Supervision, Authorisation, Enforcement, Policy and Legislative Counsel.
Al Masar or The Path is a custom programme envisioned to take fresh graduates as well as Qataris
who are more established in their careers, step by step through five stages of professional growth and development in the core business roles of the Regulatory Authority. Each of these stages is carefully charted and brought to life with professional training, coaching, seminars and staff mentoring.
Regulatory Authority staff have extensive experience working in financial centres from London to Dubai to Hong Kong to Sydney, among others. These financial experts are playing a major role in Al Masar career development by mentoring Qataris at entry- level through “established expert” phases and beyond.
The training and development experience is self-driven, with
the individual moving through five developmental stages:
core skills function rotation, relevant work-based assignments and professional certificates, international assignment and local secondments,
a master’s or advanced degree relevant to Regulatory Authority subject matter, and leadership preparation.
In the primary stage learning model, candidates are assessed and introduced
to key business skills and competencies, team projects, knowledge of the finance sector, workplace learning, simulated case studies, and mentoring by senior colleagues.
In stage two, the challenge builds, with workshops, complex problem-solving, professional mentoring, project-based assignments, on-the-job learning, project management and teamwork to help develop on- the-job skills and experience.
With the belief that it’s important to learn in different environments, in stage three, employees enrolled in Al Masar expand
their knowledge by working in a relevant industry here in Qatar or experience an assignment abroad.
Stage four involves the pursuit of a post-graduate qualification, be that a law or a master’s degree in an applicable topic.
In stage five, the Al Masar candidate becomes a mentor
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