The Top Gun Revolutionising Banking As A Service in the Middle East and North Africa

Many businesses heavily rely on highly experienced professionals and trusted advisors and Ahmed Abdelaal is one who has distinguished himself as an excellent global business leader who combines new media and digital platforms with traditional marketing initiatives to strengthen brand positioning, capture critical market share and provide adequate customer satisfaction.

Ahmed is a well-seasoned strategic senior executive and leader who provides vision and strategy to lead local and global organisations in scaling up levels of profitability and market dominance. Using the right strategy that works in alignment with ESG principles, in steady partnership with his teams, the Group CEO of Mashreq  has contributed immensely in scaling up the company’s profits to an extraordinary net profit of 1.6 billion AED and a 96% operating profit growth in the first quarter of 2023.

“It’s delivering a superior customer experience that drives our strive for digital excellence and motivates our digital tribes to create best-in-class solutions.” As an ideation expert in banking as a system (BaaS) model, Ahmed and his team have observed the challenges in the market and in turn crafted distinctive service delivery platforms tailored to the needs of their customers. The introduction of the MashreqNeo platform has eased the burden of doing business and Neo Next is making room for the younger generation as a safe digital banking platform for children.

In an era where a great portion of the market is still unbanked, Ahmed  believes that the goal of any relevant financial institution should be to use every available opportunity to build, expand and support a country’s digital landscape and encourage financial inclusion for all. That’s why innovation should have no limitations as Ahmed  is pioneering the digital banking revolution across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Ahmed Abdelaal also oversaw Mashreq’s introduction of the first blockchain data exchange platform channeled towards businesses operating digital bank accounts. This service is the first of its kind in the MENA region. Business owners can rest assured of more secure and identifiable transactions. 

What about sustainable financing? In addressing sustainable financing as an innovative means of making investment decisions on economic activity and projects based on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, today, where climate change is a key issue, the most worthwhile investments are those aligned with ESG principles. Ahmed Abdelaal believes success in sustainable finance stems from an emphasis on making important investment decisions that reduce exposure to climate risk, comply with current and future regulations, and limit any conceivable reputational damage. It’s for this reason that banks and investment firms are developing green and sustainable strategies, integrating such strategies into their business model, and aligning their funding mechanisms to their unique sustainable development commitments. “Recognizing the importance of ESG risks and opportunities are fundamental to businesses success and they play a crucial role in shaping businesses commitment to protect and its people alongside the investor’s interest.”

Under Ahmed Abdelaal’s leadership, Mashreq  joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative in August 2022 and also joined the World Green Building Council’s Advancing Net Zero Readiness Framework as a Collaborator in the MENA region. He recently celebrated his team for their brave efforts in making Mashreq the “UAE Market Leader” awarded consecutively for three years in the annual Euromoney Trade Finance Survey – proof that customers are happy with the results and expect nothing but the best in consistent quality service.