NEWS
The President of the University of Bahrain Congratulates Dr. Al-Faihani on Winning Sharjah Award for Doctoral Theses in Administrative Sciences in the Arab World
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Ali Al Sabbaq)
July 18, 2023
The President of the University of Bahrain, Dr. Fuad Mohammed Al-Ansari, received Dr. Sarah Mohammed Al-Faihani, Assistant Professor, College of Business Administration, University of Bahrain, on winning the second place in the award for the best doctoral thesis in financial sciences in the Arab world, within the “Sharjah Award for Doctoral Theses in Administrative and Financial Sciences in the Arab World”. Dr. Sarah was honored by His Highness Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah, at a ceremony honoring winner of the award in its 20th session, recently held in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Al Ansari congratulated Dr. Al-Faihani on the prestigious award and lauded the thesis topic that sheds light on practices in the banking sector, which is one of the most important economic sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region.
The President of the University stressed that winning this award, which many researchers in the Arab world compete for, reflects the high level of the thesis and the importance of its topic which was addressed in a sober methodological way. He wished the researcher more success in her academic career and hoped that she would continue scientific research that meets the needs of sustainable development.
For her part, Dr. Al-Faihani thanked the University President for his continuous encouragement and presented him with a copy of the scientific thesis. She stressed that she pays tribute to the University of Bahrain for obtaining this award, being the first incubator of her research.
Dr. Al-Faihani won the award for her thesis submitted to complete the requirements for obtaining a PhD degree at the University of Portsmouth, the United Kingdom in 2020. The findings of the study showed that fierce competition between banks negatively impacts the stability of the financial sector, which proves the competition-fragility theory that sees that the low competition between banks ensures stability of the financial sector.
The thesis, titled “Banking Competition, Market Structure and Financial Stability in GCC Countries”, aimed to measure the market structure and the impact of fierce competition between banks on financial stability in GCC countries.
The study recommended GCC central banks to include measures of competition and market structure in the banking regulations of GCC countries and adopt them as essential criteria when approving any mergers or acquisitions in the future, due to their impact on the stability of the financial sector.
It is worthy to note that Dr. Sarah Al-Faihani holds a master’s degree in economics of Banking and Finance from the University of Portsmouth in 2015. She joined the College of Business Administration, University of Bahrain in 2011 as a research and teaching assistant. Her research interests focus on competition, market structure, economies of scale, banking services, and financial stability.
