Finance | Page 3

Selim Elgan leads J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s UAE business, overseeing wealth management for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and family offices across the UAE and the wider Middle East and North Africa.

Ahmed Abdelaal, Group CEO of Mashreq, brings more than three decades of international banking experience, leading one of the region’s foremost financial institutions across corporate, investment, retail, and Islamic banking.

Adnan Anwar has led the National Bank of Fujairah as CEO since 2024, drawing on more than 25 years of banking experience and nearly two decades with the bank to drive growth, digital transformation, and customer-focused innovation.

Ayham Gorani, Co-founder and CEO of Pemo, is transforming business spend management for SMEs through innovative fintech solutions that automate expenses, streamline financial operations, and improve efficiency across the region.

Khaldoun Hilal, CEO and Co-Founder of Kama Capital, discusses how trust, institutional-grade infrastructure, and innovation are reshaping online trading while making advanced financial tools more accessible to retail investors.

Under his leadership, QNB has advanced its digital transformation strategy through investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and blockchain technologies.

Under his leadership, Doha Bank reported total assets of US$32.8 billion and net profit of US$204.8 million in the first nine months of 2025.

"What Minted Money taught me is that trust in financial services is not universal but cultural. The mainstream financial system assumes that everyone trusts fiat currency, trusts banks, and trusts the same institutions, but they do not. Millions of people trust gold because they have seen currencies collapse, and they trust tangible assets because they have seen banks fail. That is not irrational. That is lived experience,” Munir says.

Widely regarded as a thought leader, Dr. Chilwan works closely with governments, regulators, academic institutions, and industry organizations to help shape the future of Islamic finance.

Under his leadership, Region Emerging Markets has embarked on an ambitious expansion strategy in core countries.

Mal is aiming to redefine how Islamic financial services are built and delivered. Rather than digitizing traditional banking systems, Mal has been designed from the ground up as an AI-native institution, embedding artificial intelligence across compliance, risk management, and customer experiences while remaining rooted in Sharia principles.

Mountasser Hachem is confident that Lebanon will remain a land of opportunity and potential. While many organizations have chosen to scale back or relocate operations abroad, Monty Finance S.A.L. and MontyPay continue to invest heavily in talent, technology, and infrastructure within Lebanon.

Helming the bank’s operations is its CEO and Managing Director Naif Al Abdulkareem, who has prioritized Aljazira’s position as a connected ecosystem player by creating value through partnerships, platforms, and integrated experiences.

Hisham Ezz Al-Arab was reappointed CEO and Executive Board Member of the Commercial International Bank (CIB)- Egypt in 2024, after serving as its Chairman from 2023.

Ala’a Eraiqat has served as Group Chief Executive Officer of ADCB since 2009, leading the bank through a period of sustained growth, digital transformation, and market leadership. With more than three decades of banking experience, he previously held senior roles at leading international financial institutions before joining ADCB in 2004. Under his leadership, the bank […]

Mohamed Abdelbary, ADIB Group CEO since October 2024, brings over 28 years of banking experience, including leadership roles at ADIB, Standard Chartered, Barclays, and Citibank.

Shayne Nelson is a veteran banking executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across retail, corporate, private, and Islamic banking. He served as Group CEO of Emirates NBD for 12 years, leading one of the Middle East’s largest banking groups through a period of significant growth and transformation. Nelson currently serves on the […]

Hana Al Rostamani is Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank. With more than 20 years of experience in banking and financial services, she previously served as Deputy Group CEO and Head of Personal Banking, where she led the transformation of FAB’s consumer banking business with a strong focus on […]

Rola Abu Manneh is the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered in the UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan. She is the first Emirati woman to head an international bank in the UAE and the wider region and have successfully managed to transform the UAE business into one of the top three markets for the Standard […]

According to Drid, XTB’s role is to support the evolution of investing in the region by combining technology, education, and a regulated investment environment.

When Haisam Odeimeh joined Al Ramz as Chief Financial Officer in 2017, he became part of a UAE financial institution with an established legacy spanning nearly two decades. Today, as Group CEO – Financial Services, he is leading the firm’s next phase of growth by combining its traditional strengths with a strong focus on fintech-driven […]

With more than 24 years of experience spanning banking, finance, auditing, taxation, and financial consulting, Al-Mogbel brings extensive expertise to one of the world’s largest Islamic banks.

The market’s surface resilience masks an underlying shift. As H1’s easy gains give way to a trickier H2, active discipline will separate winners from the crowd.

Helming the bank’s operations is its CEO and Managing Director Naif Al Abdulkareem, who has prioritized Aljazira’s position as a connected ecosystem player by creating value through partnerships, platforms, and integrated experiences.

The UAE has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to anticipate change and adapt ahead of it. That capacity, combined with its global connectivity and institutional depth, is what sets this next phase apart from earlier cycles of financial center development.

Looking ahead, the second half of 2026 could mark another milestone for technology IPOs. AI leaders Anthropic and OpenAI remain the most anticipated listings, although both could slip into 2027 if market conditions remain volatile.