MANAMA, BAHRAIN - 11 December 2012 - Mohammed Bucheerei, the Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, was last night (ed note: 10/12/12) named Islamic Banker of the Year.

Bucheerei received the prestigious award from Ernst & Young Office Managing Partner Essa Al-Jowder at a gala dinner and awards ceremony hosted as part of the 19th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC 2012) was being held at the Gulf Convention Centre. The awards ceremony was facilitated by Nadine Hani, Senior Business News Presenter, Al-Arabiya News Channel.

The annual WIBC Awards, which are among the oldest and most prestigious in the world, are designed to recognize individuals and institutions that have made a significant contribution to the Islamic banking and finance industry. More than 1,200 industry leaders from over 50 countries attended WIBC 2012.

"The WIBC Islamic Banker of the Year award uses a unique peer-based voting system to identify the winner from a short-list of nominees with the results audited by Ernst & Young, the official award auditors," said Al-Jowder. "The Award is presented to an individual who is an established banker, leading a reputable financial services provider, who, during the year 2012, has contributed significantly to the Islamic financial services industry. The key criteria set by the awards committee for the award included excellence in leadership, overall strategic direction of their Islamic banking business, new strategic initiatives and innovations, and overall contribution to the global Islamic banking and finance industry," he said.

Receiving the award, Bucheerei said: "I am very honoured to have been voted WIBC Islamic Banker of the Year 2012."

"This is an Award for the entire Ithmaar family and recognizes our combined efforts in making Ithmaar a trusted leading Islamic financial institution offering a comprehensive range of financial solutions and contributing to social development," said Bucheerei. "Ithmaar Bank continues to play a pivotal role in the development of Islamic banking not only in Bahrain but internationally through its subsidiaries.  A great part of this credit goes to our dedicated team and the value of their contribution is incalculable," he said.

"I take this opportunity to thank the Central Bank of Bahrain for their continuous support and guidance as the Kingdom's banking and financial services regulator," said Bucheerei. "Ithmaar Banks efforts aim to help realise the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and this prestigious award is a clear indicator that we are working in the right direction," he said.

"I would take this opportunity, also, to thank all members of our management and staff, as well as those of all our subsidiaries and associates around the globe," said Bucheerei. "I am delighted to be accepting this award which is considered one of the most prestigious in the industry", he said.



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