COLOMBO : Reaffirming its leadership in Sri Lanka’s non-interest based Islamic banking and finance industry, Amana Bank secured three major accolades at the prestigious Islamic Finance News (IFN) Awardsincluding the coveted Best Bank in Sri Lanka award for the fifth consecutive year. Complementingthis achievement, the Bank was also recognised as Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka and most
Innovative Bank in Sri Lanka, further underscoring the breadth of its performance across key
areas of banking. These recognitions come amid growing competition in Sri Lanka’s Islamic
banking and finance industry, which now comprises more than 15 institutions offering Islamic
financial services.
Now in its 20th year, the IFN Awards, organised by Malaysia-based REDMoney Group, recognise
leading institutions and landmark transactions across the global Islamic finance industry. Amana
Bank Managing Director/CEO Mohamed Azmeer attended the gala awards ceremony held in
Dubai to receive the accolades on behalf of the Bank.
The awards span major Islamic finance markets including Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and South
Africa. Beyond recognising leading banks, the IFN Awards also honour outstanding Islamic finance
deals across areas such as Sukuks, sustainability financing, syndicated financing, cross-border
financing and social impact financing. At this year’s ceremony, awards were presented to
sovereign entities recognising them for pioneering Sukuk issuance initiatives, leading global
financial institutions such as Standard Chartered and HSBC, international rating agencies
including S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s, as well as prominent Islamic banking institutions such
as Al Rajhi Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Dubai Islamic Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.
Commenting on the recognition, Managing Director/CEO Mohamed Azmeer said, “We are deeply
honoured to once again be recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Bank at the IFN Awards, and particularly
proud to receive this recognition for the fifth consecutive year, alongside some of the world’s
most prominent and respected institutions in the global Islamic finance industry. Beingdetermined through a global industry poll makes these accolades especially meaningful, as they
reflect the confidence and recognition Amana Bank has earned among stakeholders within the
wider Islamic finance community. These achievements would not have been possible without the
continued trust and confidence of our customers, shareholders, partners and other stakeholders,
together with the dedication of our employees. We sincerely thank them for being an integral
part of our journey and for inspiring us to continuously raise the standard of development
focused people friendly banking model.”
Amana Bank PLC is a stand-alone institution licensed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and listed
on the Colombo Stock Exchange, with the Jeddah-based IsDB Group being the principal
shareholder of the Bank. The IsDB Group is a Supra-National, ‘AAA’ rated multilateral
development financial institution with a membership of 57 countries.
Testifying to its position as a leading practitioner of the non-interest-based banking model,
Amana Bank was recognized amongst the Top 50 Strongest Islamic Banks in the World by The
Asian Banker. Amana Bank does not have any subsidiaries, associates, or affiliated institutions
apart from its engagement with OrphanCare as its Founding Sponsor.
Caption: Amana Bank Managing Director/CEO Mohamed Azmeer receiving the accolade from
RED Money Group Managing Director/Publsiher Andrew Morgan at the ceremony held in Dubai
