CIB, Egypt's leading private-sector bank, has teamed up with Visa, a world leader in digital payments, and Almentor Business, an online learning platform, to launch a new co-branded academy for its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) customers. The academy will offer various courses and training programs related to management and entrepreneurship, aiming to enhance the skills and capacities of SMEs, especially small businesses, in the Egyptian market. The collaboration is in line with the role played by CIB and Visa to support SMEs and the educational role played by Almentor Business within Egypt's society. The platform offers sought-after courses, programs, and training related to taxes, finance, artificial intelligence, automation, supply chain, staff retention, sustainability, and innovation. Almentor's digital platform houses hundreds of audio-visual courses in Arabic and English, achieving over 3 million successful learning experiences. Hany El Deib, SME Business Head at CIB, stated: "CIB's Business Banking segment is keen on providing its SME clients with a comprehensive banking experience that includes financial and non-financial value-added services. We aim to ensure that our customers have all the tools, services, and products they need at their disposal to be able to develop and grow their businesses and take them to unprecedented heights." Malak El Baba, Egypt Country Manager at Visa, said: "Visa believes in providing SME owners with opportunities to upskill, which can help them develop their businesses and reach new heights in line with the objectives of digital payments for access and prosperity. In 2020, Visa pledged to support 50 million medium and small businesses through skills development and by offering products and innovations that suit the needs and characteristics of small and medium-sized companies. This will enable them to reap the benefits of electronic payments and adapt to the rapid changes in the post-pandemic market." El Baba emphasized that supporting small and medium-sized businesses is one of Visa's top priorities globally. Sally Metwally, Chief Business Development Officer at Almentor Business, said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with CIB and VISA, as this allows small and medium-sized businesses to grow and compete in a fast-paced growing market like Egypt. This cooperation enables us to support them with all the needed practical skills and experience through the co-branded platform "Growing Together."
