President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of Djibouti present at the ‘GIFA Islamic Finance Award- 2018’ ceremony in Sarajevo

At an elegant award ceremony graced by the presence of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Baker Izetbegovic, His Excellency the President of Djibouti, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, QIIB Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdulbasit Ahmad al-Shaibei was honoured with the ‘Most Outstanding Leader in Islamic Finance Award- 2018’ in recognition of his contributions to the success of Islamic banking and the consistent performance of financial institutions he has long been leading.

The award was presented by British Ambassador to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, HE Mr. Matthew Field.

Senior officials, and leaders in banking and representatives of the finance and business sectors were present at the ceremony held in in Sarajevo, the capital city of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

GIFA based its decision to honour Dr. Al-Shaibei with the award on several factors, such as his personal and institutional achievements, contribution to the expansion of Islamic banking, innovation and modernisation, formulation of visions for Islamic banking, raising awareness about the importance of Islamic banking, locally and internationally and role in taking this success to other countries. This, GIFA said, resulted in the growth of Islamic banking and an increase in its customer base,which catapulted the sector to new heights.

GIFA Awards are internationally-recognised prestigious laurels, previously given to many leaders in Islamic banking, as well as many heads of state and prime ministers, for supporting the expansion and growth of Islamic banking.

Commenting of the ‘Most Outstanding Leader in Islamic Finance Award 2018’, Dr. al-Shaibei said, “Our work has been inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar. I dedicate the award to my dear country, which has been able to attain remarkable achievements in various fields, namely economy, thanks to the guidance, support and vision of His Highness the Amir.”

Dr Al-Shaibei thanked GIFA Awards Committee for appreciating his work and granting him the award.

He noted, “The Qatari banking sector was able to accomplish continued successes and achievements, thus becoming the most prominent in the region, ranking high on the international arena and enjoying some of the best credit ratings, which confirms its ability to formulate an advanced banking concept at various levels in line with the best international standards.”

“This has become possible due to the best regulatory environment in Qatar.”

He pointed out that “Islamic banking made steady progress in our country and led to the establishment of very strong financial institutions. This is due in part to the strength of the Qatari economy and the huge demand for Islamic banking services among the local population as they converge their aspirations and principles.”

Dr. al-Shaibei stated: “We take pride in QIIB playing an active and influential role among Qatari and regional Islamic banks. We were able to continuously strengthen our financial position and contribute to the development and growth of our country. We also established large-scale local and international partnerships that have clearly contributed to enhancing the concept of Islamic banking and its growth in different countries.”

He believes that “based on the strategic plans established and closely followed-up by our Board of Directors, QIIB will continue its success and growth, achieving strong financial positions based on the high solvency of the Qatari economy and the great opportunities it provides in various infrastructure and big ticket projects, supported by the strong dynamics of various sectors of the Qatari economy.”

Commenting on the award ceremony held by GIFA at the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, Dr. al-Shaibei said, “Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the heart of Europe with stronger ties to our region. It offers attractive investment opportunities. There is no doubt that hosting such events contributes to the promotion of these opportunities among business and finance communities and lays the foundation of cooperation with stakeholders in many countries, including the countries in our region.”