Month: December 2012

AUB NAMED ‘BANK OF THE YEAR, BAHRAIN 2012’ FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR BY THE BANKER

Ahli United Bank B.S.C. (AUB) has been named ‘Bank of the Year, Bahrain 2012’ by the influential The Banker magazine. This is the seventh consecutive year AUB has won this prestigious award from this affiliate publication of the UK’s Financial Times.

In announcing the results of its much anticipated annual review of banks, The Banker cited “AUB’s strong management expertise, sound business model, prudent risk approach and overall growth strategy”.

Aimed at rewarding and promoting industry wide excellence in the global banking community, The Banker’s annual survey has long been regarded as a benchmark for banking excellence by the international financial community. Mr. James Forster, Acting CEO of AUB (UK) plc, accepted the award on behalf of the AUB Group at the recent awards ceremony in London.

“This award rounds off a very successful 2012 and is a firm endorsement of our track record at AUB,” said Mr. Forster on receiving the award. “We are delighted to continue this straight seven-year recognition streak by one of the world’s most established international banking publications and look forward to more achievements in 2013”.

“At AUB, we pride ourselves on delivering solid value to shareholders and customers alike while entrenching a very disciplined risk management culture. This has been the cornerstone of our success over the years and a mainstay of our position as one of the most trusted financial services providers across the Middle East,” concluded Mr. Forster.

This latest awards joins a string of accolades AUB has won this year, including most notably ‘Best Bank in the Middle East 2012’ by Euromoney, but also ‘Best Bank in Bahrain 2012’ for the seventh consecutive year by both Global Finance and Euromoney.

AHLI UNITED BANK RECEIVES COMMERZBANK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

Ahli United Bank B.S.C. (AUB) has been awarded the prestigious STP Award by Commerzbank AG, in recognition of the Bank’s outstanding efficiency in processing funds transfers and international transactions in Euro.

This is the fourth consecutive year AUB has received this award, which is conferred on select banks worldwide which meet stringent criteria for processing Euro payments through Commerzbank. In respect of 2011, AUB has achieved a straight through processing (STP) rates of 95.6% and 99.8% for MT103 and MT202 transactions respectively.

At a ceremony held at the Bank’s headquarters in Seef, Ralph Nitzgen, Senior Executive Officer & General Manager, Commerzbank AG, formally presented the award to Shafqat Anwar, Deputy Group CEO for Operations and Technology, AUB.

“AUB’s excellence in the processing and delivery of international transactions in Euro was once again much in evidence during the year. We are delighted to work with banks that demonstrate such professionalism and high commitment to acting in the best interest of customers and concerned parties”, said Mr. Nitzgen of Commerzbank AG.

Accepting the award on behalf of AUB, Mr. Shafqat Anwar said: “We are delighted to receive this award for the fourth straight year, a tribute to the high caliber and superior efficiency of AUB’s operational capabilities. With state-of-the-art technology and operational infrastructure, our team of seasoned professionals is well placed to meet the full needs of individual and corporate customers alike. I wish to congratulate all my colleagues in the Operations Division on their hard work and outstanding contribution in earning the trust and confidence of our valued clients and counterparties at all times”.