Among the celebrated recipients of the International Finance Awards 2025 are Bahrain Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bank of Baghdad, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, First Bank of Nigeria, The Saudi Investment Bank, Asia Commercial Bank, La Trobe Financial, Commercial Bank Financial Services, Malaz Capital, Riyad Capital, Burgan Takaful Insurance, Almamoon Insurance Broker, Taiwan Life Insurance, CIT Group Ltd, Riyadh Development Company, ROSHN, United Warehouse Company Ltd, stc Bahrain, Radius Telecoms, ESNAD, SOCAR Enerji Ticaret A.Ş., Easy Parking, Qassim National Hospital, Ultima Markets, and Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets Company.

The ceremony was marked by an atmosphere of prestige and celebration, bringing together influential leaders, decision-makers, and industry experts from across the globe. Seamlessly executed, the event reflected the scale and reputation of the International Finance Awards, reinforcing its position as a respected platform for recognising excellence across sectors.

Each award was presented following a structured and transparent evaluation process, highlighting the credibility of the recognition. Winners were honoured on stage in front of business stalwarts, emphasising not only their organisational achievements but also the leadership and vision that have driven sustained performance in competitive markets.

The diversity of the winners further demonstrated the global reach and relevance of the awards. From banking and financial services to telecommunications, healthcare, energy, and real estate, the recipients showcased innovation, resilience, and a commitment to excellence within their respective industries.

Beyond the accolades, the ceremony served as a powerful source of inspiration for peers and emerging leaders alike. The success stories shared throughout the evening illustrated how strategic thinking and strong governance can translate into long-term growth and meaningful impact.

As the evening concluded, the 13th Annual International Finance Awards left a lasting impression on attendees, reaffirming its role in celebrating leadership and progress on a global stage. The event not only recognised outstanding achievements but also set a benchmark for excellence, motivating organisations worldwide to continue striving for innovation and sustainable success.

Earlier, the inaugural segment of the awards was held on January 23, 2026, at Bangkok’s prestigious Waldorf Astoria. The event was honoured with the attendance of Mr. Arief Rachmat Hidayat, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Bangkok, and Dr. Ekapong Rimcharoen, Director of Thailand’s National Statistical Office (NSO). The awards night in Thailand set the tone for a series of celebrations, recognising top-performing companies and bringing together distinguished leaders from Southeast Asia.

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Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank is looking at options, including possibly purchasing a 15% stake in Bank Syariah Indonesia from Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Reuters reported.

After the report, while the ADIB shares ended down 5.7%, the value of BSI shares increased by up to 50.6% to 2,620 rupiah. According to LSEG data, the lender’s shares have increased by 50% year to date, valuing a 15% stake at USD 1.05 billion and giving it a market cap of about UDD 7 billion.

“What we can say is that the information above is in the domain of our shareholders,” State-owned BSI’s corporate secretary Gunawan Hartoyo responded in a statement to a question about whether ADIB was in talks to look into the possibility of investing in BSI or purchasing BRI’s 15% stake.

As per the reports, discussions and negotiations are still in their early phases, and there is no assurance that a deal will be signed.

A rapidly expanding market for Islamic banking is Southeast Asia, a region comprising 11 countries and home to over 500 million people. A major Muslim population in the world resides in Indonesia, the largest economy in the region.

According to the Islamic Finance Development Report released by Indonesia’s financial services authority (OJK) in 2023, the country’s Sharia financial assets were valued at USD 163 billion in July of last year, up 13% from the same month in 2022.

BSI has been extending its reach throughout the Middle East, having established a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre in early January 2022 and received approval in 2023 August to become a full branch.

According to its website, the bank hopes to open a branch in Saudi Arabia after seeing a large number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from Indonesia.

In order to create one of the top 10 Islamic banks in the world, Indonesia merged PT Bank Syariah Mandiri, PT Bank BNI Syariah, and PT BRI Syariah Tbk to form BSI in 2021, according to its website.

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In this regard, Hossam Seif El-Din, General Manager of IBM in the Middle East and Pakistan, told the media, “Financial institutions are one of the cornerstones of society. However, to keep pace with challenging times and constantly changing customer demands, they need to modernise. Our collaboration with ADIB is evidence that hybrid cloud strategies are core to digital transformation journeys and an enabler of revolutionised business models.”

Last year, ADIB became the first Islamic bank to successfully complete a trade finance distribution transaction using blockchain technology. ADIB successfully completed a trade finance distribution transaction in partnership with TradeAssets, a blockchain-based trade finance emarket. Reportedly, ADIB and TradeAssets have been collaborating for more than a year to automate trade finance transactions and digitise traditional processes.

Haytham Elmaayergi, Global Head of Transaction Banking at ADIB, told the media, “The completion of the first trade distribution transaction using Blockchain by an Islamic bank shows that ADIB is at the cutting-edge of global transaction banking. As the only Islamic bank providing end-to-end Sharia’a-compliant trade financing through digital channels, ADIB is committed to expanding its digital footprint in trade financing and distribution, enhancing the efficiency and productivity of businesses across the region and globally.”

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With the help of these eDirham cards launched by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the residents of the emirate will be able to access 5000 government services.

With regard to the launch of the eDirham cards, Saeed Rashid Al Yateem, assistant undersecretary of resource and budget sector at the Ministry of Finance told the media, “The launch of the new eDirham cards will mark a major milestone in the development of the UAE’s cashless payment industry, and will meet the current and prospective requirements of government service fees payments.”

“The eDirham platform is witnessing an ever-growing increase of customers as a result of the ministry’s efforts to develop an advanced and secure digital infrastructure that manages daily transactions, and to provide a digital and physical network to enable customers to easily recharge their account.”

ADIB said that users can use the cards to carry out financial transactions through different eplatforms. These cards can be linked to the eDirham Instant App and can be topped up in their respective branches.

During the month of June, the MoF announced the completion of phase one of the transformation of the eDirham system. Phase one was completed in cooperation with relevant ministries and national banks across the UAE.

The first phase of the transformation of the eDirham system included the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Energy and Industry, and several national banks.

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Earlier, the foreign ownership limit at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was set at 25 percent.

The bank made the announcement after obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the Securities and Commodities Authority.

The same was also approved by the bank’s shareholders during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in March.

With regard to the increase in foreign ownership, Jawaan Awaidha Suhail Awaidha Al Khaili, Chairman of the ADIB told the media, “This move came in response to the heightened interest from international investors in ADIB’s shares, as well as in line with our efforts and commitment to diversifying the bank’s investor base. This milestone will help strengthen the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s positions as one of the most attractive markets for foreign direct investment, through contributing to increasing cash inflows, which will benefit both shareholders and the wider stock market. This will also boost the attractiveness of ADIB’s shares, given the added value that the stock provides to investors.”

Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank become the first Islamic bank to successfully complete a trade finance distribution transactions using blockchain technology.

ADIB successfully completed a trade finance distribution transaction in partnership with TradeAssets, a blockchain-based trade finance emarket. Reportedly, ADIB and TradeAssets have been collaborating for more than a year to automate trade finance transactions and digitise traditional processes.

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Illyas Kooliyankal, the Group CISO at ADIB, received the CISO100 ‘Information Security Executive of the Year Award’ on behalf of the bank for its ‘business enabling and customer centric’ cybersecurity programme, and for leading the adoption of innovative security technology and fraud awareness services.

On receiving the award, Illyas Kooliyankal said: “ADIB’s focus on online security controls is driven by the bank’s focus on protecting our customers’ privacy and personal information. ADIB’s ultimate objective is to provide a stable and secure business environment for customers which is resilient to cyber threats, including online fraud. We constantly focus on education and awareness among our customers and staff to ensure that they have the knowledge and understanding to protect themselves and their information.”

The annual MESA Conference & Awards Ceremony hosted more than 20 CISOs as speakers and panellist from leading organisations across the Middle East, as well as many international speakers. The event was also attended by 200-plus senior delegates from leading companies in the Middle East.

ADIB uses cutting edge technologies and processes to protect customer information and constantly evaluates, develops and implements advanced banking security measures. It also dedicates a full section on its website to its customers, providing best practice advice and tips on how they can protect themselves.

On ADIB’s app, customers, for example, have the option to instantly block their card if they have either lost the card or feel there has been a fraudulent transaction. The bank also runs a number of awareness campaigns including competitions to highlight cyber fraud threats and the actions that customers can be taken to safeguard their financial and personal information.

ADIB has received numerous awards in recent months including a CISO 30 Award 2018 at the inaugural CISO30 Awards and Forum, ‘Best Premium Banking Service in the UAE’ from Banker Middle East, and ‘Private Bank in the Middle East for Islamic Finance’ by Private Banker International. In addition, the bank was recently awarded with the ‘Best Online Banking Services’ award at Banker Middle East UAE Product Awards.

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