Blom Bank wins coveted 9th Annual Banker Middle East Award

More than 250 senior banking executives attended the dinner at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain for the much anticipated announcement of the winners.

Blom Bank bagged the top award for the Best Bank, while EmiratesNBD was voted as the Best Retail Bank and HSBC Private Bank and Gulf Finance House were named Best Private Bank and Best Islamic Finance House respectively.

H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al Khalifa, CEO of the Economic Development Board of Bahrain, delivered the opening speech and also presented the Lifetime Achievement award to Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al-Ghurair, the CEO of Mashreq Bank for his contributions within the banking sector.

Majed Al Sayed Bader Al Refai, the Founder, Managing Director and CEO of Unicorn Investment was recognised as the Banker of the year and Dubai Bank was named Islamic Bank of the Year.

Nigel Rodrigues, CEO of CPI Financial, publisher of Banker Middle East, commented:

"The last 12 months has been a difficult period for the banking industry, however despite the uncertainty institutions have demonstrated their commitment to driving international and regional standards of excellence."

Rodrigues added, "We would like to congratulate every nominee and winner of the Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2009 for their achievements in actively driving the industry forward and further demonstrating the high standards that exist in the region."

"The awards have set the benchmark for excellence amongst the region's financial institutions. To be competitive in the global financial markets takes enormous drive, innovation and a clear vision and we are delighted to recognise the achievements made over the last year," stated Rodrigues.

Thousands of bankers and financial experts in Mena cast their votes for the nominated institutions based on overall performance, innovation, improvement and growth over the last 12 months.

With winners from Lebanon, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, the Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2009 clearly demonstrated that the improvements in standards across the Middle East are paving the way for successful institutions to play an ever increasingly important role in the global economy.

"We are proud to organize such a prestigious event and help highlight the region as a thriving financial centre to the world. I am certain that the winners of the Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2009 will continue to grow, develop, and succeed in the future," concluded Nigel Rodrigues.

The Banker Middle East Industry Awards 2009 Winners:

1. Best Bank- Blom Bank
2. Lifetime achievement award- Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al-Ghurair- CEO Mashreq
3. Best Retail Bank- EmiratesNBD
4. Best Banking Technology Provider- SunGard
5. Best Investment Bank- Alpen Capital
6. Best Islamic Bank- Dubai Bank
7. Best Commercial Bank- Doha Bank
8. Best Foreign Bank- Standard Chartered
9. Best Private Bank- HSBC Private Bank
10. Best New Bank- Noor Islamic Bank
11. Best Islamic Finance House- Gulf Finance House
12. Best Private Equity House- Abraaj Capital
13. Best Hedge Fund Company- MAN Investments
14. Best Project Finance House- NBK
15. Best Corporate Finance House- Samba
16. Best Trade Finance House- Ahli United Bank
17. Best Asset Management House- Abu Dhabi Investment Company
18. Best Mortgage/Home Finance House- Kuwait Finance House
19. Best Brokerage House- Mubasher Financial Services
20. New Product Award- Khaleeji Commercial Bank
21. Best Bank Customer Service/Contact Centre- NBK
22. Best use of Technology- Dunia Finance
23. Best Advertising/MarketingCampaign- Gulf Bank
24. Banker of the Year - Majed Al Sayed Bader Al Refai- Founder, Managing Director and CEO Unicorn Investment Bank.