The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) announced the sixth edition of its Cybersecurity Leaders Program on 16 August. It is part of the Kafa’a initiative launched by CBK with Kuwaiti banks and managed by the Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies (KIBS). The programme targets Kuwaitis interested in cybersecurity. Applications were open from 16 August through 24 September 2026. CBK said selection would use objective criteria and required tests and personal interviews, but did not publish the number of applicants or places available.

The sixth edition shows that the skills initiative is recurring rather than a one-off training announcement: CBK says the programme has continued with the same partners in previous years. Its stated aim is to develop technical professionals able to protect information systems in Kuwait’s banking and financial sector. The release does not identify a specific cyber threat, incident or bank vulnerability that prompted the cohort. It frames the programme as capacity building, so it should not be described as a response to a confirmed breach.

Training is to be delivered with SANS Cyber Institute and last three months. CBK says the programme will conclude with a training workshop in collaboration with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The source describes SANS as specialising in professional training and certification. However, the CBK release does not set out the syllabus, cohort size, examination scores, status of any certificate or the workshop date. Without those details, claims about training outcomes or the number of newly certified specialists would go beyond the evidence.

The programme’s potential sector value is a larger local skills base for security roles as banks and financial institutions rely more heavily on digital systems. Training can contribute to workforce capability, but cyber resilience also depends on incident reporting, backups, access management, vendor oversight and exercises. CBK’s announcement does not explain how the cohort aligns with those control areas. The launch is therefore evidence of a workforce-development step, not proof that the security posture of the sector has improved.

Because applications closed on 24 September, this report covers an earlier programme announcement. CBK outlined testing and interviews but has not published selection totals or outcomes in the release. Later information could document cohort size, completion rates, participants’ work areas and whether further editions continue. Those indicators would help show reach and continuity, although they would not by themselves prove fewer cyber incidents. Assessing impact would require institution-level security measures and comparable data over time.