The Banker Middle East (BME) Industry Awards, the region’s most prestigious financial awards programme, announced the winners for its 2019 edition at a gala dinner at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, DIFC, honouring the institutions that are driving the Middle East’s banking and financial industry forward.
The Awards ceremony was attended by over 350 C-level executives, key decision-makers and thought leaders from 80 institutions across the Middle East. Banker Middle East is the longest-running and most widely-esteemed GCC-based banking publication, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The annual Awards program, organized by Banker Middle East, benchmarks and promotes banking and financial excellence in the Middle East. It gives due recognition to the institutions that have navigated a challenging economic climate to continue the upwards trajectory of the industry, created innovative financial services and solutions to better serve their customers.
Nigel Rodrigues, Founder and CEO of CPI Financial—the publisher of Banker Middle East said: “Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the BME Industry Awards. The awards programme recognises the ‘champions’ of the banking and financial industry, celebrating the success and achievements of the institutions who are playing a key role in the region’s development.
The 500 nominations and submissions from 32 categories were critically evaluated and mutually analysed by an esteemed panel of judges comprised of prominent industry experts from rating agencies, accountancy firms, and auditing institutions, leading to 120 shortlisted institutions. Winners were chosen through a rigorous evaluation of the entrants’ expertise in research and knowledge of the market, as well as assessment of all relevant company financial statements.
In addition to the 32 categories, one special award and four individual awards were also announced at The BME Industry Awards. The Banker of the Year Award was conferred to Abdulhamid Saeed, Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank; The Lifetime Achievement Award, meanwhile, was bestowed to H.E. Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain; the Leadership Excellence Award was presented to Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank; and the award for Outstanding Contribution to Banking & Finance was given to Steve Bertamini, CEO, Al Rajhi Bank.
“The world is changing and adapting to advanced technologies. These innovations, which are transforming the banking and financial landscape, are rooted in the constantly shifting demands of consumers. We believe that the best institutions consistently put their customers as their top priority, and actively demonstrate that commitment, beyond just words. We look forward to seeing the industry become much more innovative and adaptive to the needs of consumers in the future and the embracing of new technologies will show a very different banking landscape,” added Rodrigues.
Here is the full list of The Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2019 winners:
1. Best Bank in the Middle East – The National Commercial Bank
2. Best Retail Bank – Mashreq Bank
3. Fastest Growing Bank – Warba Bank
4. Best Islamic Bank – Dubai Islamic Bank
5. Best Corporate Bank – National Bank of Fujairah
6. Best SME Bank – National Bank of Fujairah
7. Best Investment Management Firm – ADS Investment Solutions
8. Best Private Equity Firm – GFH Financial Group
9. Best Trade Finance Institution – Noor Bank
10. Best Project Finance Institution – Ahli Bank Kuwait
11. Best Brokerage Solutions Provider – Albilad Capital
12. Best Law Firm – Banking & Finance – Al Tamimi & Company
13. Best Research & Consultancy Firm – Century Financial Consultancy
14. Best Ratings Agency – S&P Global Ratings
15. Capital Market Transaction of the Year – Albilad Capital
16. Most Innovative Digital Banking Proposition – Mashreq Bank
17. Best Takaful Provider – Noor Takaful
18. Best Investment Bank (Conventional) – Saudi Fransi Capital
19. Best Investment Bank (Islamic) – Dubai Islamic Bank
20. Best Private Bank – First Abu Dhabi Bank
21. Best Wealth Management Firm – Standard Chartered
22. Best CSR Programme – BLOM Bank
23. Best Core Banking Service Provider – Infosys Finacle
24. Best User-Experience Innovator – Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain
25. Best Cybersecurity Provider – Help AG
26. Best Payment Solutions Provider – Network International
27. Best Communications Infrastructure Provider – Avaya
28. Best Commercial Bank – The National Commercial Bank
29. Best Brand Positioning – Liv Bank
30. Best Human Resource Development – The National Commercial Bank
31. Best Digital Transformation Provider – Maveric Systems
32. Best REIT Manager – Emirates REIT
33. Special Achievement in Digital Innovation – Warba Bank
Individual Awards
34. Leadership Excellence Award – Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank
35. Banker of the Year – Abdulhamid Saeed, Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank
36. Outstanding Contribution to Banking & Finance – Steve Bertamini, CEO, Al Rajhi Bank
37. Lifetime Achievement Award – H.E. Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain
