Bahrain Bourse Launches 25th Edition of TradeQuest Programme

Manama, Nov. 25 (BNA): Bahrain Bourse (BHB), a Licensed Exchange by the Central Bank of Bahrain, proudly announced the launch of the 25th edition of the TradeQuest Program for the academic year 2023-2024. This transformative initiative, designed for high school and university students, provides a hands-on experience of investment trading in financial markets.

The kick-off event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of students and their respective school and university advisors, as well as investment advisors who play a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring the teams during the program.

One of the programme’s highlights is its competitive aspect, where teams engage in three trading periods, followed by presentations of their strategies, objectives and performance to a panel of judges at the conclusion of each trading period. The top three finalists from each category, totaling nine finalist teams, will be awarded a total of BD 30,000 in cash prizes.

“TradeQuest is one of our flagship financial literacy programs, which aligns perfectly with one of the key pillars of our strategy that focuses on enhancing financial literacy. We are committed to fostering financial literacy, a key component of our ESG initiatives, in line with SDG Goal 10. The program complements our other financial literacy programs, including the Smart Investor Program, the Investment Academy and the Capital Markets Apprenticeship Program,” Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse said.

Bahrain Bourse is very grateful to the following institutions for sponsoring TradeQuest this year. The Program’s Strategic Sponsor is The Labour Fund (Tamkeen). The Platinum Sponsors are: Ahli United Bank, Bank ABC, Khaleeji Bank and National Bank of Bahrain. The Gold Sponsors are: Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), Ithmaar Holding and SICO BSC (c). The Silver Sponsors are: BBK, Gulf International Bank (GIB), Kuwait Finance House and United Gulf Bank. And finally, the Knowledge Partner: The Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF).

This year’s TradeQuest Program features the participation of 20 school teams, including 10 private schools: Abdulrahman Kanoo International School, Bahrain Bayan School, British School of Bahrain, Al-Hekma International School, Ibn Khuldoon National School, New Millennium School, Al Noor International School, Al Raja School, St. Christopher’s School and Shaikha Hessa Girl’s School. The other 10 teams represent government schools: Ahmed Al Omran Secondary Boys School, Al Ahd Al-Zaher Secondary Girls School, Ghazi Al-Gosaibi Secondary Girls School, Istiqlal Secondary Girls School, Isa Town Secondary Girls School, Khawla Secondary Girls School, Al Noaim Secondary Boys School, Al-Shurooq Secondary Girls School, Sitra Secondary Girls School and West Riffa Secondary Girls School.

Additionally, seven universities are participating in the programme, and they are: the American University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF), British University of Bahrain, Royal University for Women, University of Bahrain, and University of Technology Bahrain.

Established in 1997, TradeQuest is a pioneering educational partnership program that has garnered extensive support from the financial and educational sectors. The programme is a dynamic five-month program, divided into three progressive stages. It offers students a realistic experience by immersing them in the rules and regulations governing financial markets, enabling them to analyze and select shares and manage a diversified portfolio of equities listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ and Bahrain Bourse.

Y.R