Citi’s first-anniversary check-in on its Global Technology Hub in Bahrain shows 110 Bahraini coders already on the payroll—early proof that the bank can reach its target of 1,000 local tech hires within a decade.
Launched last year through a partnership with Tamkeen and the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Seef-based hub trains new graduates in Java, Python and cloud engineering before assigning them to global products such as Citi Velocity and CitiFX Pulse. Citi says Bahraini applicants recorded the highest coding-test pass rate among all regions considered for the hub and, notably, women account for 22 percent of current staff—above the group’s average for other tech centres.
The talent results align with Bahrain’s standing in Meta’s Inclusive Internet Index, where the kingdom tops sub-indices for female digital-skills training and STEM education. Government leaders see the project as more than a head-count milestone: the Central Bank’s governor Rasheed Al Maraj told attendees that embedding local engineers in a global platform accelerates digital innovation across the financial sector. For Citi, the hub offers a cost-efficient zone that is still one hop away from Saudi and UAE client teams, while providing visa pathways to recruit additional specialists as workloads scale. The bank also plans to run outreach events with universities to deepen the entry-level pipeline and keep female participation rising.
“It makes us proud to see Bahraini women directly contributing to the operations and growth of Citi’s Global Tech Hub,” said HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa.
Computer-science graduates and mid-career developers can monitor Citi Bahrain’s careers page for the next intake of full-time tech roles.
