Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading Islamic financial institution, announced the appointment of veteran UAE banker Ahmed Bazarah as the head of ADIB’s Emirati segment, responsible for driving the bank’s strategy to increase its market share of UAE national customers as well as designing dedicated products and services for the segment. The ambitions of the bank’s Emirati segment are in line with the UAE’s ‘Projects of the 50’ strategy to increase the number of UAE nationals employed in the private sector.
As part of the retail banking team, Ahmed will spearhead the bank’s Emirati segment strategy by focusing on delivering innovative products and services that meet the evolving needs of Emirati clients across the Bank’s retail, digital and corporate banking divisions. With more than 20 years of retail banking experience, Ahmed joined ADIB in 2009 as a Relationship Manager in Priority Banking.
Saif Alkeem, Head of Wealth Management Priority Banking and Liability at ADIB, said: “We are very pleased to appoint a banker of Ahmed’s caliber to this new key role. His vast network, knowledge and skills will help further grow our strong UAE national client base. During Ahmed’s 12-year career at ADIB, he has accumulated a wide range of knowledge on the products and services that are best suited to UAE nationals. Ahmed has been tasked with managing the Emirati segment across the entire bank, which will further enhance ADIB’s focus of being the bank of choice for UAE nationals.”
A UAE national himself, Ahmed received an International Financial Services Diploma from the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies in 2008. Before joining ADIB in 2008, the positions Ahmed held included account relationship officer at National Bank of Abu Dhabi and customer service representative at HSBC.
The recruitment, development, and promotion of local talent in the UAE has been at the core ADIB’s human resources strategy. ADIB also runs distinct training programmes dedicated to supporting UAE nationals within the bank. As a result, the bank has one of the highest Emiratisation ratios in the country, with approximately 40% of its workforce made up of UAE nationals.
About ADIB
ADIB is a leading bank in the UAE with more than AED 127 billion in assets. The bank also offers world-class online, mobile and phone banking services, providing clients with seamless digital access to their accounts 24 hours a day. ADIB provides retail, corporate, business, private banking, and wealth management solutions. The bank was established in 1997 and its shares are traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).
ADIB has presence in six strategic markets: Egypt, where it has 70 branches, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Sudan, and Iraq.
Named the no. 1 UAE bank on the Forbes list of World’s Best Banks 2021 and the World’s Best Islamic Bank by The Financial Times’ The Banker publication, ADIB has a rich track record of innovation, including introducing the award-winning Ghina savings account, award-winning co-branded cards with Emirates airlines, Etihad and Etisalat and a wide range of financing products.
