Abu Dhabi

The UAE’s largest bank likes to sell itself as one of the world’s safest and most influential institutions. Over the last 12 months, First Abu Dhabi Bank proved this marketing campaign right by almost every metric that investors apply.

The UAE’s largest bank likes to sell itself as one of the world’s safest and most influential institutions. Over the last 12 months, First Abu Dhabi Bank proved this marketing campaign right by almost every metric that investors apply.

If any bank in the UAE knows its ABCs, it is Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, which has been led by acting chief executive Sandeep Chauhan since May 2020. Rather, make that six letters from A to F – conveying to clients why ADIB wins both our Islamic bank and digital bank awards in 2021.

If any bank in the UAE knows its ABCs, it is Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, which has been led by acting chief executive Sandeep Chauhan since May 2020. Rather, make that six letters from A to F – conveying to clients why ADIB wins both our Islamic bank and digital bank awards in 2021.

The Middle East has a lot of very well-run banks these days. Mergers have made the big ones bigger, but a desire to invest in digital for consumers and corporates, and to roll out high-end wealth management services, has made them better too.

The Middle East has a lot of very well-run banks these days. Mergers have made the big ones bigger, but a desire to invest in digital for consumers and corporates, and to roll out high-end wealth management services, has made them better too.

These days, most Middle East lenders boast some kind of Asia connection. It may be a simple one, based on links with correspondent banks in important markets. Others boast more sophisticated networks, using offices in the likes of Hong Kong or Singapore to support local firms operating across the continent.

When investors and companies mull the benefits of doing business in Asia, or of boosting their operations in a region that still drives the global economy, their default instinct might be to turn to the West’s big lenders. We know their names. An elite handful of financial institutions, boasting decades and sometimes centuries of experience in the biggest markets. They are fully tuned into Asia, and usually well represented across the Middle East.