Building future-ready leaders in Saudi Arabia’s insurance sector
Tawuniya, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest insurers and a leader in the MENA region, is not only passionate about its employees, but also the development of the insurance sector as a whole. Tawuniya’s flagship Talent Advancement Programme (TAP) aims to develop a high-quality pipeline of insurance professionals to create the next generation of leaders for the organisation, industry and the broader market – an objective that supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which emphasises human capital development to meet evolving market needs.
In recognition of its leadership in developing national talent and strengthening the position of the Saudi Insurance sector worldwide, Tawuniya was awarded Apprentice Employer of the Year (Large) for the TAP programme at the 2025 Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Personal Finance Society (PFS) annual Apprenticeship Awards, and won the Human Capital / Leadership Development category at the MERIT Awards 2026 in Riyadh.
Tawuniya programme video featuring Bayes Faculty Sabine VanderLinden and Anirban Mukhopadhyay.
Tawuniya partnered with Bayes Business School on the past two cohorts of the TAP to deliver the Leadership Excellence Programme module – a bespoke executive education component designed to build leadership capabilities, strategic decision-making ability, communication skills and customer-centricity.
Professor André Spicer, the Executive Dean of Bayes Business School, commented on the partnership:
"Bayes is honoured to collaborate with Tawuniya on this unique and impactful programme, which was thoughtfully designed and executed to address the specific learning needs of young Saudi talent.
We are confident that the knowledge and skills gained through the TAP learning journey will yield enduring results, not only on individual performance, but also on the broader advancement of the insurance industry within the Kingdom.
As an educational institute, our goal is always to create meaningful learning experiences with lasting impact, and this programme is a shining example of commitment to fostering continuous professional growth."
Sultan Alkhomashi, Tawuniya’s CEO - General Insurance Sector and the TAP programme sponsor, strongly believes that developing a highly skilled workforce will improve customer service standards. He shared his thoughts and expectations about the programme:
"Constantly innovating and prioritising customer satisfaction are core principles that drive Tawuniya’s vision. We are committed to enhancing the skills and capabilities of our national insurance professionals through specialised skills development programmes.
The comprehensive Talent Advancement Programme is carefully designed for young Saudi candidates, not only from Tawuniya but including participants from our prestigious clients and strategic partners. The TAP will enrich the candidates and empower them for professional growth and development as we believe that a well-trained workforce leads to improved productivity and enhanced customer satisfaction."
The TAP spans 18 months and comprises the following five key modules:
- Professional Certifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute (Cert CII & Dip CII)
- Technical Bootcamp
- Leadership Excellence Programme
- Workplace Training
- Global Training.
While the Professional Certifications focus solely on technical skills, the Leadership Excellence Programme emphasises soft skills development. The remaining three modules offer a balanced blend of both technical and soft skills.
The programme is delivered by carefully selected experts and providers, including Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), Bayes Business School, international reinsurers and brokers, as well as subject matter experts from Tawuniya and the market.
Sultan explains the Leadership Excellence Programme requirements and reasons for selecting Bayes:
"As the leadership module of TAP, the Leadership Excellence Programme aimed to emphasise soft skills development, in combination with global insurance industry experience in the context of the Saudi market. Bayes’ Faculty of Actuarial Science and Insurance is one of the most highly respected academic departments in the industry and has an excellent reputation in Saudi Arabia. With a strong emphasis on integrating theory and practice, Bayes prepares participants to excel in dynamic environments."
The Bayes Executive Education team worked closely with Tawuniya’s Learning & Development team to create a bespoke programme addressing the following learning objectives:
- Build leadership skills and organisational change strategies for complex business environments
- Understand digital transformation and technical innovation in insurance
- Develop advanced decision-making and customer-centric approaches.
Bayes’ curriculum was designed in collaboration with world-class academics and industry-leading practitioners to include five modules with a strong focus on practical application through immersive, interactive and applied learning techniques designed to engage participants:
- Effective Leadership & Leading Others
- Communication & Change Management
- Insure-Tech
- Leading Digital Transformation in Insurance
- Customer Centricity & Decision Making.
The follow-up Action Learning Sets were based on structured group projects designed to embed the programme learning outcomes through coaching, feedback, peer support and self-reflection.
2024 participants rated the Bayes’ programme with an overall satisfaction score of 96% and applauded Tawuniya’s commitment to delivering the best-in-class development programme in the region. The programme has established a leadership and strategic benchmark within Tawuniya, enabling faster and more effective implementation of change initiatives aligned with the company’s vision.
Sultan reflects of the effectiveness of the partnership:
"This programme is a cornerstone of our commitment to developing future-ready leaders. Bayes Business School brought global expertise and local relevance to help our talent grow into strategic thinkers and transformational leaders.
Partnering with Bayes has elevated the quality and impact of our Leadership Excellence Programme. Their faculty’s ability to contextualise global leadership principles for the Saudi insurance market has been exceptional."
Tawuniya
The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya) is a Saudi Joint Stock Company, founded in 1986 as the first national insurance company licensed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to practice all types of insurance business in accordance with the cooperative insurance principle that is accepted by Islamic Sharyia. Tawuniya provides its customers with more than 90 types of insurance products including medical, motor, fire, property, engineering, casualty, marine, aviation, Takaful, liability insurance, and many other types of insurance. Through its 38 years of experience, the company has been able to enhance its competitive advantages and quality of services to become the first choice for all insurance customer segments in Saudi Arabia.
