Unicorn CEO is named banker of the year

Unicorn Investment Bank managing director and chief executive officer Majid Al Sayed Bader Al Refai has been named Banker of the Year at the Banker Middle East Industry Awards.

The ninth Annual Banker Middle East Industry Awards was held at the Gulf Hotel under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) last Wednesday.

CBB Governor Rasheed Al Maraj attended the ceremony.

Three other Bahrain financial institutions also won accolades at the event.

Khaleeji Commercial Bank won the Best New Product category, Ahli United Bank the Best Trade Finance House award and Gulf Finance House (GFH) the best Islamic Finance House.

Blom Bank was voted the Best Bank, while EmiratesNBD won the Best Retail Bank and HSBC Private Bank was named Best Private Bank.

Economic Development Board chief executive officer Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa delivered the opening speech and presented the Lifetime Achievement award to Mashreq Bank CEO Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair for his contributions to the banking sector.

"The Banker Middle East Industry Awards set the benchmark for excellence amongst the region's financial institutions," said CPI Financial chief executive officer Nigel Rodrigues, whose firm publishes Banker Middle East.

"Our awards recognise and reward the growth and achievements of the banking and finance industry in the Middle East and North Africa region region, allowing new and old, large and small institutions to triumph and be acknowledged by their peers for recent successes."

Banker Middle East is is now in its 10th year of publication and covers a range of topics from retail to investment banking, private equity, project finance, wealth management and Islamic finance.