Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurair receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The award recognized Al-Ghurair for his significant contribution towards the development and progress of the banking industry in the Middle East.

On receiving the award and recognition Al-Ghurair stated;

"Receiving this accolade is very rewarding to me personally, and I am honored that the readers of the Banker Middle East have chosen to credit me with such an award. In accepting this award I would also like to thank Mashreq's loyal customers and dedicated staff. This award is a mere reflection of their trust and support."

Al Ghurair joined Mashreq in 1977 and held various positions until 1988. He was responsible for the bank's international transactions and assisted in opening branches in New York, London, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, India and Pakistan. He was appointed director in 1989 and became the CEO the next year.

Since then the bank has grown and expanded across the region to offer its customers high quality and prompt services. Under his 19-year tenure the bank's assets have risen to Dhs96.7bn, making it a world-class financial services institution.

Nominees for the Banker Middle East Award were selected by a panel of banking and financial experts, which were then decided by the readers of Banker Middle East. A record number of participants from the MENA region casted their votes based on overall performance, innovation, and improvements to determine the winners in 23 categories.

The award ceremony was held at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain and saw more than 250 senior banking executives in attendance. The annual event seeks to showcase successful institutions within the region and highlight not only profits, but measure and recognizes innovation and development achieved by the most forward thinking institutions in the Middle East, setting the benchmark for excellence amongst the region's financial institutions.